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Head Like A Hole - Album Review: Narcocorrido

05 May 2015 // A review by Peter-James Dries

Narcocorrido, from the Spanish “Drug Ballad” is a style of music associated with confessions in the life of bat-shit crazy Mexican cartels.

Narcocorrido, from New Zealand heavyweights Head Like A Hole, is some of the hardest, sweatiest and grimey music to come out of this overgrown volcano cluster we call a country.

In the same vein as Blood Will Out, so to speak, the new album offers hard hitting, in your face danky rock, with the anthemic refrains that incite out of body experiences in the sea of bodies of a packed pub gig. This isn’t a rehash of the winning sound we got in 2011. It’s not Glory Glory part 2. This is a full on expansion, with hints of the experimental HLAH from the early days. 

Bring some cornstarch, cause Narcocorrido has some big cajones and they’re swampy as hell.

Brought together by the magic of the internet, this is one of the crowd-funding success stories. 217 people paid a total of $11,410 to bring this album to life. 

Love or hate the idea of Kickstarter, I can’t think of a band that deserves our support as much as Head Like A Hole. They deliver the goods, and the oversold gigs prove that there is want and a need for this band in our lives.

The Head Like A Hole reunion was one of the best things to happen to the New Zealand rock scene. Legendary in their history and producing some of their best music to date in their present, I can only hope for more amazing music in the future.

Narcocorrido is everywhere, online and in the real world. Check the band’s updated webpage if you can’t find a link to the album (http://headlikeahole.co.nz/).

 

About Head Like A Hole

Formed in Wellington, Head Like A Hole originally consisted of Booga Beazley, Nigel Regan, Andrew Durno and Mark Hamill. Like most young bands, they started out by playing small gigs at local pubs and at various well known live venues. Then quickly started touring the university circuit. The band soon made a name for themselves with energetic and often outrageous live performances, appearing on stage either naked, caked with mud, or covered completely in body paint.

Therefore forming a solid and dedicated following throughout the live music scene. Head like a Hole were soon signed to Wildside Records and began their recording career. 1992 saw the release of their debut album, 13 which the band largley produced themselves. The single Fish Across Face successfully made it into the New Zealand Top 10 charts. In keeping with Head Like a Hole tradition the video for Fish Across Face included a scene where Nigel regurgitates an orange substance into Booga’s mouth and was promptly pulled off air.

Head Like a Hole continued touring and performing the university orientation circuit. Then returned to the studio in 1993 to record their second album. Flik Y'Self off Y'Self. Which was released in stores in 1994 providing two singles. Faster Hooves and Spanish Goat Dancer. After the release of two successful records the band’s popularity and exposure increased, and so Head Like a Hole remained on tour. Playing to capacity crowds and sold out venues throughout the country, and in 1996 secured a position on the bill to play The Big Day Out festival. That same time the band suffered a sudden and tragic loss, with the death of their Manager Gerald Barry Dwyer. And it was late 1996 where they headed back to the studio, this time travelling to Australia and worked on a third album. Double Your Strength, Improve Your Health & Lengthen Your Life. Cornbag, the first single from the album, was released in November 1996, but received only moderate chart success.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Head Like A Hole

Releases

Narcocorrido
Year: 2015
Type: Album
Juicy Lucy
Year: 2014
Type: EP
Cornbag
Year: 2014
Type: EP
Fish Across Face
Year: 2014
Type: EP
Hootenanny
Year: 2014
Type: EP
A Crying Shame
Year: 2014
Type: EP
Spanish Goat Dancer
Year: 2014
Type: Album
Faster Hooves
Year: 2014
Type: Album
Blood Will Out
Year: 2011
Type: Album
Blood On A Honky Tonk Floor
Year: 2000
Type: Album
HLAH IV
Year: 1999
Type: Album
Wet Rubber
Year: 1998
Type: Album
The Not Nicomjool EP
Year: 1995
Type: Album
Flik Y'Self Off Y'Self
Year: 1994
Type: Album
Beelzebeats
Year: 1993
Type: Album
13
Year: 1992
Type: Album

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