32HEADSHOTS – Curtain Call

32HEADSHOTS continues their maturation with a 6-song EP following their 2015 release, American Arrogance. Curtain Call is steeped in angst and doomy menace.  Hook heavy riffs are its strength and the album mix wisely favors the rhythm elements of the band.  While the lead guitar and vocal work aren’t flashy, they complement the gritty nuance of their music and deliver emotive lyrics with heart felt conviction.  The backing vocals, however, clearly need work and border on distraction.

The opening track “Get Out” features a plodding riff seething with hostility coupled with a matching dismissive message.  It’s a fitting lead to the mid-tempo riff hurricane second track, “Storm” which appears as “The Storm” on American Arrogance.  This version uses a less-is-more approach which places the music in a wonderfully dark and sparse space.  More darkness follows with “Love & Hate” whose lyrics and riffs are scary enough to scare off Cupid.  The mid-tempo riff attack of the title track features lyrical content dissatisfied with the human condition. “Amazing Grace” is an acoustic bolt out of the blue reminiscent of the Eagles.  This song features overlapping layers of three acoustic guitars and vocal talents of the lead guitarist who sounds like a cleaned-up Joe Walsh.  After so much gloom, this song may have been better placed at the end.  The final track, “Hang Em’ High”, doesn’t exhibit the quality of the earlier songs. It relies too much on chorus repetition and weak backing vocals which are distracting.

Recommended for fans who appreciate angst-ridden Groove Metal.  There are plenty of songs with which to commiserate on Curtain Call.

Tracklist:

1. Get Out
2. Storm
3. Love & Hate
4. Curtain Call
5. Amazing Grace
6. Hang Em High

Band Members

Darren Gene-Lead Vocals/Guitars
Tony Banta-Drums
Jerry Swan-Bass
Matt Holycross-Lead Guitars