Heartwork

Following their emotionally draining 2017 epic The Canyon, American post-hardcore punk vets the Used get back to basics with their ferocious eighth set, Heartwork. The blistering LP manages to be both a spiritual throwback to their early-2000s albums while also marking yet another evolution in their style. Although the album could use a little trimming for maximum effect, theres a wealth of material here for fans of their peak-era, no-nonsense hardcore aggression, as well as loyal diehards whove stuck with them through the polished and daring genre explorations of their late era. Bursting right out of the gates with the explosive Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton, the band immediately links Heartwork to decades past, referencing an early single with the line Yellow fades to blue. Fever 333s Jason Aalon Butler joins the melee on the savage Blow Me, a riotous blast that features a skull-rattling breakdown at the close. That moment is later bested by Wow, I Hate This Song, a churning rager that borders on deftones-style metal. Spirits of other groups also drift into Heartwork, notably Nirvana (on Paradise Lost), the Dear Hunter (1984 - infinite jest), and even Fall Out Boy/Panic! At the Disco, whose arena-friendly rock anthems find a kindred spirit with the stomping BIG, WANNA BE. The albums midsection is the most rewarding stretch, home to the shimmering pop gem Cathedral Bell (a shock to the system in the same vein of The Canyons Over and Over Again); the theatrical 1984 - infinite jest; and the soaring anthem Gravitys Rainbow, which includes the cathartic rallying cry Walking with the fire/I make peace with the light. Heartworks most polarizing moment arrives on Clean Cut Hands, which takes the Used onto the dancefloor with a K-pop-meets-disco romp complete with handclaps, funky bass, and lilting falsetto. A trio of high-profile friends end the album on a high, starting with blink-182s Mark Hoppus, who injects a bit of bounce on The Lighthouse. Meanwhile, Hoppus bandmate, drummer Travis Barker, lends his signature delivery to the urgent Obvious Blase, while Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo joins Bert McCracken on visceral scream-off The Lottery. Theres so much going on here that Heartwork can be overwhelming upon first listen. However, given time, it ends up being one of the Useds catchiest, most direct and hard-hitting albums to date, one of those packed sets that sounds like a greatest-hits collection. After such a reflective and mournful era with The Canyon, its refreshing to see this usually energetic group kick it back into high gear with such control, hunger, and ferocity. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

初期作を手掛けたジョン・フェルドマンを久しぶりにプロデュースに迎えて制作された8作目。スクリーモ/ポスト・ハードコアの攻撃力はそのままに、多彩なアプローチを織り込んだ曲調に圧倒される。ストリングスやEDMもアレンジの中に見事に消化し、作品トータルで飽きずに聴かせる手腕も素晴らしい。"Blow Me"ではフィーヴァー333のジェイソンが吠えまくり、楽曲の熱量も一段とアップしている。
bounce (C)荒金良介