Hempire - The Weight

First off, kudos to the creator of the album cover. Would be at home on a pack of cigarettes or a beer can. No joke! The logo, monochrome, subdued blue, and two-headed beast of burden come together palatably to create one hell of a picture!

If someone were to ask me how I'd describe the sound of The Weight succinctly, I'd say fuzz with a bit of a punk attitude. Light aggression that doesn't take itself too seriously is all over this record, and though on the surface the direction seems slightly straightforward, a deeper dive reveals that there's a fair amount of exploration going on here, revealing quite a bit of soul.

One of the things these guys seem to nail effortlessly is balance. Everything can be heard with such clarity, and no composition seems to wring anything out in a way that is ostentatious. There's not a single "Let's just make this part 'gaudy'" moment to be found, which is classy. Extremes can be fine and all, but these guys sure know not to just throw them out there for the hell of it.

The Weight is a surprisingly well-rounded collection of rock songs with just the right amount of punch and a lot of character. 

P.S. I saw these guys live in Raleigh about 5 and a half years ago, before they had an official full-length studio album out, and it's cool to see that at least a couple of the tracks they played ("Gravedigger" and "Deathtrap" for sure, and maybe some others) made it to this album.

Favorite Tracks: "Sound of the Hellbound," "Without the Darkness," and "Deathtrap"

7.5/10

Noah Nihility Zalve