By By Jim Shea
If you want to start up a hardcore band, you’ll need a vocalist, guitarist, bassist drummer-and Nintendo?
Meet HORSE the Band-their brand of hardcore music stands out with their use of 8-bit electronic sounds. Critics have dubbed them “Nintendocore,” a title that has sparked interest for many listeners. HORSE the Band reached underground fanfare with the release of their debut album, R. Borlax. In R. Borlax, the band paid homage to classic NES games, such as Mega Man and Power Glove, with their blend of hardcore madness.
Now, the band unleashes their sophomore release, The Mechanical Hand, through recently-resurrected label Combat Records, which used to be the home of Megadeth and Exodus. For starters, Mechanical Hand is a step above from R. Borlax in terms of sound and production quality. The only thing that remains the same is the band’s continued reliance on the Nintendo Entertainment System, as heard on songs like “Birdo” and “House of Bod.”
Most of the songs are raw and uncut, but HORSE the Band manages to hold on to grab the listener’s attention. “Octopus On Fire” delivers a relentless mix of breakdowns and screeching vocals courtesy of singer Nathan Winneke.
If you take away the keyboards then you just have a typical hardcore band, breakdowns included. The primary reason HORSE the Band stands out is that they do not follow the usual approach of writing aggressive songs. Instead, they try to have fun with nonsensical verses mixed in with chaotic 8-bit sound bytes and riffs.
An unfortunate downfall for The Mechanical Hand may be the repetitiveness of the keyboards. Keyboardist Erik Engstrom helps develop an identity for the band, but in the end, it’s pretty much the same process for all of the songs on the album.
With the incorporation of “Nintendocore” as their only major selling point, HORSE the Band needs to watch out for their staying power. Most people are not too keen about gimmick bands, but maybe with The Mechanical Hand, they can prove people wrong.