Reviewed by Paul Kercal

The first time I listened to House Of Heroes' eponymous début CD it sounded like my stereo had been turbocharged to race down the streets at 120 mph. The second time someone, no doubt wearing a black suit and shiny hat (don't ask me, ask the video that comes on the CD), snuck in and boosted the performance to 140 mph. Ready for a third play? Oh yes, because this is energetic, heady stuff. From the intensity of "Buckets For Bullet Wounds" to the nine-minute tear jerker "Angels In Top Hats", House Of Heroes deliver a fast paced slice of the best bits of every song you've ever heard. Harmonies sit with crashing drums, elaborate bridges, operatic interludes and more energy than you could get out of a glass bottle of still blue sports drink (there's that video again). Occasionally the lyrics veer into the realm of teen melodrama, with "Suicide Baby", "Make A Face Like You Mean It (Vampires)" and "Angels In Top Hats" aiming to resonate on an overly melancholic or confrontational level but it's all done with such verve and imagination that you can't help but enjoy.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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