For yours truly, Michigan's Hundreds of Vultures came with a glowing seal of approval. With my interest piqued thanks to a Joe Casey-penned piece in Creem, I instantly had high hopes for the 12-track Servants of Hell. And the band waste little time in meeting that praise — tracks like the disjointed-but-sensuous "One Last Kiss" and the swirling, menacing "Petals on the Floor" are basically "if Elmore Leonard wrote Richard Hell in modern-day Brooklyn (and also he was a spree killer with a switchblade)." Sure, boxing HoV in as a sleazier Television is half-cocked, but I dare you to spin "Wrong Crime" and not feel the same blend of grit and cool like we're all living in 1978 Manhattan. Luckily, that association is simple and direct enough — it places them in this framework that's old and wide enough that it creates connections but contextualizes without limiting. Perhaps more "troubling," though, is my desire to compare them to Casey's own Protomartyr given my own introduction. That works effectively enough; "Catatonic" and "Never Grow Old" both employ the same sing-talk social dissection and janky dance rhythms (though I prefer the former's subtlety/nuance). At the same time, the poppy, anthemic spin of "Becoming The Goat" and "Single White Male" place HoV in firm, impassioned opposition to a Protomartyr. So, what's it all mean then? Maybe that genre and the LIYL-ification of music continue to be both a platform and prison? Yeah, bro. I also think it's deeper still — HoV occupy a sweet spot: slick and streamlined enough to feel like old-school punk/post-punk, but unconvinced/untethered enough to embrace a modern, savage sheen. The ease of this "dance," to me at least, indicates that HoV aren't just a damn good rock band, but comfortable in spaces between eras and ideas. Or, they’re tapping into something that transcends all this for the stirring, confrontational might of perpetually great rock. Either way, we’re really getting at why these recommendations are so vital. They remind us of a shared history, connect people through a language that bypasses life’s more ephemeral aspects/tendencies, and let us add further to the patchwork narrative of our cultural babies. Maybe you’ll come to HoV in a completely different means/context, but hopefully you’ll take away the same primal intensity, endless personal truths, and emotional sharpness. Plus, Servants of Hell is just a kick-ass album title.
7.4/10: This thing dual wields a pig sticker and bouquet of roses.
LIYL: The Heartbreakers, Deeper, and spitting on sidewalks.
Get The Album Here.