Hana Piranha - Wingspan (Not Saints) %20(4).jpg)
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Release Date: Out Now
Before I get in to this review (and believe me, I will) I want to give a shout out to the label on which this album is released. Not Saints is the only label in the UK working with musicians recovering from addiction and not only is that unbelievably healthy, it is also incredibly brave within an industry that relies on a vortex of addictive behaviour. Bravo.
Now, on with the music. Hana Piranha has created new album 'Wingspan' and it is, well, it's big. The album opens with 'Azure', a track which crawls off the sofa and into the bathroom to stare at the reflection of its dead eyes in the mirror before the guitars and drums inspire a fist to break that mirror and the cycle of destruction with it. 'I Wanna Leave' is a Pretenders with a jetpack slice of rock'n'roll fuelled by the embers of defiance leading in to recent single 'Lorelei', all moody spoken word vocals and dramatic, Muse-esque melodies. It's a strong start.
'The Devil Always Pulls Through' is a piano based slow burner that turns in to a meaty, metal stomper before the breathy vocals of 'Only Love Remains' take you on a journey of redemption and regeneration. The whole album is a journey of discovery and recovery with songs like 'Hurt The Ones You Love' and 'Elixir of Life' taking you on a journey through various stages of grief and revival. The heartbroken (and everything else broken) 'Left Me Here To Die' is a slow building redemption song that brings itself back from the dead while 'Requiem' snarls and growls through the guitars to let you know that having been down, Hana Piranha is in no way out.
On the home straight, 'Black Horse' brings an operatic touch to the album with swirling, dramatic vocals lulling you in to a false sense of security for the power house rhythm section and guitars team up with some violent strings to really force the message home. Penultimate song 'Another Life' is an altogether more mellow affair with a cross-stick rhythm underpinning the vocals and gentle guitar until the inevitable explosion of emotion and power. The closing and title track, 'Wingspan', sounds like the kind of balls to the wall rock'n'roll song that is a lot of fun to play live, giving the whole album and redemption arc a triumphant and brilliant send off - driving off in the sunset on a Harley. This a therapeutic listen and one that will have, for everyone I'm sure, at least one moment of recognition, empathy or connection. Bravo again.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/hanapiranhaband