Hëssler-Skeleton Crew

Self-Release/Independent
2016

It's doesn't seem as if it was all that long ago, but it has actually been five and a half years since Hëssler released it's debut EP, "Bad Blood". Formed in 2008 and once lead by painter, actress, and former model Lariyah Daniels, Hëssler started out in life as a female-fronted traditional heavy metal/hard rock outfit and actively stuck to that formula up until 2014's "Ghost Dance". Following the departure of lead singer Jessica Marie Espinoza (of Jessikill fame), Hëssler decided to cut it's loses and just let band member Igz Kincaid (guitars) handle the vocals. Obviously the EP "Skeleton Crew" is the end result of that equation and given the departure of not just Jessica, but two other band-mates (thus leaving the pair of Igz Kincaid and Erik Michael as the only original members of this Chicago, Illinois-based band) it is pretty clear why choose that title! With Igz Kincaid now on guitar and lead vocals and one-time bassist Erik Michael swapping in his four string instrument for a six string one, Hëssler has not only lost some weight line-up wise, but they have stripped their sound down to the bare essentials. Just released back on Nov 17th, "Skeleton Crew" is a straight, no chasers, artificial ingredients, or BS(!) heavy fucking metal recording with a mean streak a mile long! For better or worse (and I'd argue for the better!) this hard & heavy band has never sounded this alive or...well, real. Like the best garage metal bands out there, Hëssler has crammed years worth of frustration and disappointment into a tight package that is just screaming to be played as loud as humanly possible! At just over twenty minutes, "Skeleton Crew" reminds me of the great $5.98 EP by Metallica. Not sound-wise mind you, but vibe-wise. Devoid of any pretentious nonsense, Hëssler's short but sweet EP is the heartfelt gift of true Chicago heavy metal from a talented band that has been around the block a time or two and shed way more than it's fair share of blood, sweat, and tears. As for who joined Igz Kincaid and Erik Michael in the studio for this EP? That would be drummer Tom Weirzbicky would be With Erik and Igz splitting bass duties, Tom keeps everything in check and bashes the unholy hell out of his kit! God only knows where this wicked musician has been hiding out, but damn, if he doesn't fit in perfectly with the other two guys in Hëssler then I need my hearing checked! This impressive EP is all the better thanks to Tom and seeing as both he and bass player Adam Arling are listed as touring members on the band's Facebook page it looks as if this madly-skilled drummer is here to stay! Hopefully the same can be said of Hëssler as a whole because I love the new direction of this straight-up metal band. That, and Hëssler has come too far to give up now! 

Jessikill-Metal Knights

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Released back in late February, "Metal Knights" is the outstanding debut EP from up-and-coming U.S. traditional/power metal act Jessikill. This multi-award winning* 5-piece band (which has shared the stage with everyone from Faster Pussycat to Overkill!) is based in San Antonio, Texas and lead by one-time Hëssler front-woman (and all-around powerhouse vocalist!) Jessica Marie Espinoza. This amazing lead singer is at her all-time best on the aptly-titled "Metal Knights" and as she works her way through a killer (if sadly all too short) set of catchy METAL songs she is joined by a group of well-rounded and equally-skilled musicians. That would be lead guitarist Joey Villalobos, lead guitarist/keyboardist Jyro Alejo, bassist/vocalist Arturo Alvarado, and drummer Alan Cisneros. With all of the members of Jessikill working together as one concrete and complete unit  you end up with a remarkable piece of studio work that will stick around in your head long after it runs it's course! This slick-sounding EP starts off strong thanks to the Iron Maiden-infused "March of the Knight". At a little over a minute this great instrumental drops you right into the heart of the battle and from that point forward it's onward and upward until the closing moments of hard & heavy rocker, "Don't Let Go". As for the other four metallic songs of this well-crafted EP? Well, you really need to hear them all together in order to fully appreciate the magical quality of this killer set of songs. Without spoiling it for anyone I will say this. It's not just Iron Maiden that has influenced this Texas heavy metal band (or for that matter Jessica's old band Hëssler**!). There are actually a lot of influences at play here on "Metal Knights". From hard rock and traditional heavy metal to European-style power metal and even light thrash it's all here on "Metal Knights" and it all blends together to make this six-song EP that much more fun and exciting! All of which means you can't pigeonhole the overall sound of the Jessikill. And that's a really good thing....



*Jessikill was awarded the "Best Metal Band", "Top Local Band of The Year" and "Best Female Performer" at the 2016 SANA Awards. For the past four years in a row the band has also been chosen by the city of San Antonio to headline New Years Eve at the Arneson River Theatre!

**The EP's closing number, "Don't Let Go", sounds a lot like Hëssler.

Hëssler-"The Cure" Single

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Chicago's Hëssler recently released the second song off of their "Never Lost My Way" maxi single. Meant to (further) showcase new lead vocalist/San Antonio, Texas-native (and pardon me if I'm out of line with this one) absolute doll Jessica "Jessikill" Marie Espinoza (formerly of the band Jessikill), "The Cure" is more rock then metal and more slow then the (previously released and also covered here) uptempo "Never Lost My Way". You can hear the number for yourself  thanks to You Tube and while it might not be the thrill ride that "Never Lost My Way" proved to be it does at least provide further proof that this Chicago act can and will survive the kind of line-up shake-up that has done in many a lesser band!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94UuhrGRiA0

Hëssler – Comes With The Territory

Self-Release/Independent
2012

It was a year or so again when Chicago's Hëssler dropped their "Bad Blood" EP. What a difference a year made! Is this really the same band? For the most part yes. Unless I'm mistaken only Frankie Snakes Stripada (lead/rhythm guitar and vocals) and Eric Michaels (bass and vocals) are new to Hëssler. They join returning member's Lariyah Daniels (lead vocals), Igz Kincaid (lead/rhythm guitar and vocals) and Marcus Cox (drums and vocals). Last time around I almost had the impression that "Bad Blood" was the sound of a patchwork band. With these new players added on there is more of a sense of stability and continuity for these Windy City rockers. Does that mean the band has changed direction musically? In a way you could say so. The band's sound is still out of place in the modern world of metal. It's dated. There's still a lot of eighties metal influences swirling around in the mix. I still get the Lita Ford, Lee Aaron, Doro and Bitch vibes. You can't help but think that Lariyah Daniels and company keep a huge stack of eighties metal LPs lying around as inspiration. It's not just those female oriented bands that spring to mind though. Motörhead, Accept, W.A.S.P. Scorpions, AC/DC and other seventies/eighties acts creep in here and there into the sound. So yeah, it's still a style of metal that's a bit "outdated". But the good news is that pop/punk feeling I got with "Bad Blood" is almost gone. The only reminder of it is the constant use of gang vocals. That does get a little tiring after awhile. Maybe by the next album they will have figured out that a little goes a long way with that sort of thing. Let's hope so. Meanwhile the band has added in new little touches that really threw me the first time around. Instead of moving forward with their sound on the new album the band choose to look backwards for inspiration. In no way would I ever imply that these Chicago rockers strike the same cords as these greats, but it's fairly obvious from the first spin that Hëssler drew upon bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden for inspiration. Especially when it comes to the twin guitar attacks of Igz and Frankie! Those are straight out of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden albums! "Comes With The Territory" draws from eighties metal and the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. The more times I spin this disk the more I pick up on everyone from Raven to the Tygers Of Pan Tang! It's subtle of course, but it's there nonetheless. "Comes With The Territory" is the sound of a young band emulating their heroes. The band might still have a long way to go as far as creating their own sound, but when you hear the leap from "Bad Blood" to this (and in only a year!) you can't help but envision their next album being a stone cold killer! "Comes With The Territory" is a really good album from a completely unknown band. Truthfully, if I hadn't read a review of this album at Sleaze Roxx first I wouldn't have even known it came out. It just about slipped through the cracks. One brief listen to it's samples though was all it took for me to go out and buy the album last week. Since it's been in my possession I've probably listened to it 3-4 times so it is a good heavy metal release and one that I'm glad to recommend!


http://www.hesslerchicago.com/


http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=H%C3%ABssler-Bad+Blood