The Hawkins
Silence is a Bomb

Label: The Sign Records
Three similar bands: Night/Elder/Gygax

Rating: HHHHHHH (3/7)
Reviewer: Daniel Källmalm
Tracks
1. Silence is a Bomb
2. Roomer
3. Hilow
4. Stones
5. Mynah
6. Minuette
7. Cut Moon Bleeds
8. Libertine
9. Stranger in the Next Room
10. Black Gold
11. Fisherman Blues
12. All My Birds Are Dead


Band:
Johannes Carlsson - Guitars, Lead vocals
Mikael Thunborg - Guitars/Bg vocals
Martin Larsson - Bass, Bg vocals
Albin Grill - Drums, Backing vocals


Discography:
Part II: The Puppet Show (2014)
Guantanamo Bassline (EP 2014)
Aint Rock n Roll (2017)


Guests:


Info:

Released 2020-09-04
Reviewed 2020-11-04

Links:
thehawkinsband.com
youtube

bandcamp
the sign records


läs på svenska

The Hawkins from Sweden comes up with a new album, a yellow one that they call Silence is a Bomb. The band started their career back in 2013 and done some releases since then, the latest before this one in 2017. They claim that this album captures a fun-loving, positive spirit that's just what 2020 needs. And I can only agree that 2020 needs some positive spirit and fun-loving, but is this the album that provides it?

They are described as a lovechild between Queen and nitro-glycerine, I am not sure that is a fitting description as I would have expected something more explosive to fit such a description. I think that retro-rock is a more fitting way to describe this, inspired by the likes of Queen, Led Zeppelin, and other influential artists from the seventies. They are a band that looks in the rear-view mirror rather than forwards and it feels like their music doesn’t really offer anything that we haven’t already heard – they do not offer novelty.

Silence is a bomb is a pretty decent album, the songs are not bad at all and I think they have one or two things going for them. One thing missing is that outstanding hit song that makes the listener want to return to the album, the songs that draws you to it – there are no really memorable songs here. I am not sure what the fun-loving spirit is here but perhaps it is trying to capture the spirit of the seventies – it was probably more upbeat than the one we have in 2020. But honestly, this album is just another album and probably not one that can be seen as a memorable album.

If you are a fan of the old rock it might be an album worth checking out, but I don’t think it is an album that will make much of an impression. It is fine but doesn’t really take off - or explode.

HHHHHHH