It's now time for our 182nd monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and to cap off the summer season, we're looking at newer local hard rock quintet HeadFirst's debut EP "Head Trauma"! Independently released on July 20th in limited physical copies at their Rotaryfest Stage 2 set (with the wide release coming one week later at Shooters Downstairs Lounge), this EP was produced and mixed by Dustin Jones at Mission Control Studios earlier this year. HeadFirst are represented here by singer Red Jettison, guitarist Raine Rancourt (ex-Raincourt) and Liam Dinsmore, bassist Claire Jeffery, and former(?) Them drummer Anthony Boudreau, with he and Liam trading roles on one song. CD copies of "Head Trauma" (all handmade) are on sale at HeadFirst concerts, and streaming copies of the EP are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and even Boomplay.
Download copies on mp3 are on sale through iTunes and Amazon for $3.96, so consider buying it thusly or on CD to support HeadFirst beyond the free streaming locations! Song names below are linked via Spotify. Note also that the band has more original songs than these, as heard in concert, but they're intentionally holding those for future releases. With four tracks running for about 12 minutes, let's kick off this review!
"Head Trauma" begins with "Hot Blooded Woman", which is about falling in love with a seductive woman who doesn't necessarily reciprocate the feelings forever, and seemingly likes to play games with one's emotions. This retro rocker has a bit of a hair metal edge to it, but rawer and with some Bon-era AC/DC inspiration in Red's singing that comes through well enough! Not a ton of frills here (what sounds like clinking keys in the bridge aside), but the song cooks well with strong guitar work (especially Raine's solo) and a good overall groove, but the very abrupt ending comes out of nowhere. Solid opener until then, at least! Next is "Take You (Down)", which is the song where Anthony plays guitar while Liam moves to drums, a switch repeated in their live concerts. A much wordier song about exacting revenge for someone's negative actions, this is much different song tonally that reminds me a bit of Clutch (not a complain, just an observation).
This one actually has a very swingy riff and structure, especially in the verses, but Red's singing is much more serious and direct, with only the chorus having much melody. To me, HeadFirst are suited better with more casual and rollicking songs like the opener, and given how the lyrics can be in more of a repetitive structure, I'd have trimmed them down but stretched out what was left, if that makes sense. Strong solo and a less abrupt ending, but this song doesn't hit the heights of "Hot Blooded Woman" for me. Third on the EP is its shortest song, "Little Darling", which is more along the lyrical lines of the first song, and is very much about an... "intimate encounter", if you catch my drift. This song is a nice showcase for Claire's bass work, and while it's a more steadily paced song that doesn't make busy use of the dual guitarists, this has a much livelier, free-wheeling nature that better suits HeadFirst's range!
Red is allowed to let loose here moreso vocally, and Raine puts in another good solo, so this is an improvement for me, but the backing music and lyrics do have somewhat of a contrast that doesn't always click as you would assume they should. Still a fun track that sees HeadFirst swinging back to form! "Head Trauma" closes with it's only 3+ minute song, namely the pre-release single "Don't Care, Don't Mind". whose lyrics about being attracted to a woman and wanting to go further with her in spite of potential roadblocks and red flags. Despite the hair metal-reminiscent lyrics, this is arguably the most modern sounding song on offer for hard rock fans, and while not as raucuous musically as the odd-numbered songs, it has a fuller sound with a better meld of Raine & Liam's guitar riffing and Red's most controlled singing. Granted, another abrupt ending is not how I would have ended the EP.
That aside, "Don't Care..." is a solid, fully realized song that shows everyone's talents well without overstaying its welcome, and if you want something a little less '80s, this may do the trick! So, what are my final thoughts on "Head Trauma"? Overall, this is a promising debut effort that points to a solid future if they keep at it! Despite most of the band not being known local commodities before forming, they have a good talent base that is definitely in tune with retro 1980s rock music, and with well written lyrics that definitely could have come from hair bands of the era! Red's melodic and often diverse vocals pair well with Raine and Liam's strong guitar work, while Claire and Tony handle the rhythm section steadily, and the backing vocals and the Liam/Tony trade weren't badly done either! Musical issues on my end come from "Take You (Down)" is way too serious compared to other songs, while "Little Darling" doesn't always gel with the lyrics.
Half of the songs end way too abruptly for my liking, and while I fully understand that this was an independent EP and their first release of any kind, the packaging could definitely stand to be more professional for their sophomore disc (kudos for including lyrics though!). HeadFirst are sitting on more originals for their next album, and musically, they're gotten off on the right foot, so it'll be very interesting to hear what they have in store next! Buy or stream "Head Trauma" at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! A new album review will very likely hit the site next month, continuing our uninterrupted string of new album reviews dating back to late 2022, and while it will likely be Sykotyk Rampage's new epic "Waerlogas Sagas 1: Konfysion Of Fyck" (scheduled for September 15th), it could be usurped if it's delayed or something else comes out.
We'll let you know regardless what album is reviewed on the SMS in September, but that's all for today, and stay tuned for much more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!
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