Allout Helter

Ruins [EP] (2015)

Ricky Frankel

It has been just over two years since Denver, Colorado’s Allout Helter has released some new material. Now the band is back with a new six-track EP called Ruins. If you have not heard Allout Helter’s music before, the band has a bit of everything mixed into their songs. There’s clearly a fusion of a metal, thrash and hardcore, but every once in a while they throw some melodic vocals to balance it all out.

The title track of this EP is where Allout Helter definitely show off their hardcore side. For the verses of this song, lead singer Ross Hostage harshly shouts the lyrics, but once the chorus kicks in “Ruins” transitions into a melodic hardcore song. Ross, along with the backing vocalists, sing this mega-anthemic melody that you just don’t see coming. And while all of this is going on vocally, the drums are being played in way that can only be described as hard rumble. The rhythm guitar remains fairly consistent through out the song with a kind “dark” sounding distortion, while the lead guitarist plays an octave progression over it. Allout Helter ends “Ruins” in a way that is pretty unexpected as well. The guitarists just burst into this killer solo filled with swift tremolo picking, bends and harmonies between them.

One of the tracks where Allout Helter leans more towards the metal/thrash metal side is “The Last Working Watch in the West.” There is a lot of crunch and intense picking from the guitars as well as some short higher-note licks. This time there is a lot more singing, than shouting from Ross Hostage and the back up vocalists. In the middle of “The Last Working Watch in the West” there’s this extremely slow and heavy break down with a recording of some kind of speech or conversation being played in the background (it’s kind of hard to make out). You also can hear the sound you used to hear when using dial up internet sporadically through out this song, which I thought was interesting way to add some extra tension.

If you are a fan of Propaghandi, A Wilhelm Scream or Class of 86 give Allout Helter’s Ruins a shot. The band is not an exact replica of any of these mind you, but they definitely fit in with this group. They go about mixing punk sub-genres in unique and tasteful ways, which in turn what makes Ruins such a great EP.

You can check this EP out here.