Rock band H.U.G (Hyper Undead Genius) has been busy since their debut in 2022. The group, which originally started as Angelo and D'ESPAIRSRAY guitarist Karyu’s session band, released its first
full album HELIOS last summer.
Despite their short history as a band, the members have known each other for a long time. The vocalist ryo (HOLLOWGRAM, ex-9GOATS BLACK OUT) and Karyu have been friends for many years. ryo also did some graphic
design for D’ESPAIRSRAY in the past. Kazutoshi
Yokoyama, who is in charge of the electronic elements, has worked with D’ESPAIRSRAY and Angelo as well. ryo and Yokoyama also know each other well, as they have worked together as a duo named TAG.
In addition to the band's three official members, guest appearances from several well-known bassists can be heard on the album, including Ni~ya from NIGHTMARE, Shouhei from ARLEQUIN,
ZERO from D’ESPAIRSRAY and THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S, kazu from gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy, MASASHI from Versailles, Ryu from Ashmaze and yo from Matenrou Opera. The album was also
mixed by some familiar faces: Kagrra, guitarist SIN mixed the songs from the start till BLOOD PIN, while WHO IS THE ROMEO and SEEDS were mixed by Яyo Trackmaker, who is best known as the
drummer of girugamesh.
The album kicks off with an electronic intro made by Yokoyama, The
Wonderful Visit. Right from the beginning, the album makes it clear that despite being a band founded by Karyu, H.U.G is nothing like D’ESPAIRSRAY or Angelo.
HUG is both the album’s first song and the first song Karyu composed for the band, created while they were still known as Karyu Session Band. The song immediately makes it obvious what
H.U.G is about: electronic elements, powerful drums, heavy guitars and ryo’s versatile use of his voice are all easy to hear. As excellent as the song is, the recording doesn't quite do it justice compared to live performances. Below, you
can watch a live version of the song.
The second song, Drop, continues the chronological line, as it was the second song composed for H.U.G.
ryo has revealed that the song is about an atomic bombing. At first, the sky is bright blue and the sun is shining, but suddenly everything changes. The drastic change can be heard especially clearly at the heavy C-part, which crowns the whole
song.
HEART is definitely one of the highlights of the album. It is a versatile song that holds the listener’s attention by offering something new all the time, while still being a cohesive track. HEART gives each of the musicians their
turn in the spotlight, showing their individual skills. Like the previous song, DON’T DOUBT offers its listeners something new at every turn. It kicks off with heavy guitar riffs, but it is not that heavy of a song. Yokoyama’s electronic
elements add a welcome finishing touch to the song and, as a matter of fact, are the best part of the track.
The beginning of the next song immediately promises something different from the previous tracks. LOVE THAT NEVER ENDS is obviously more of a pop song than the rest of the album. Despite that, it is one of the highlights of the release
due to its beauty. The song is inspired by the current world situation, particularly the war between Russia and Ukraine. LOVE THAT NEVER
ENDS is a love song for those who have no possibility to escape. According to ryo, the song is not just about that but has a double meaning instead; how people are becoming distant from each other in this world where communication often happens
through the screens of smartphones. Despite its difficult theme, the song leaves listeners with a hopeful feeling. A music video for LOVE THAT NEVER ENDS can be viewed below. It was created using AI by Shintaro Domae, who also makes the
background videos for H.U.G's live shows.
Next, the atmosphere drastically changes. BUTTERFLY is the only song on the album, except for the intro and outro, which is not composed by Karyu but instead by Yokoyama. The difference is clearly audible. The
song has a dark tone and a slow tempo - the type of song one would enjoy like a glass of mellow red wine in dim light, letting the nuances of the flavors linger in the mouth. As a matter of fact, the song is reminiscent of ryo’s former band 9GOATS
BLACK OUT, calling back to the atmosphere of its songs and the way ryo used his voice on their releases.
The last three songs all seem to be parts of the same whole. They represent a more pure rock sound, with less electronic elements than the rest of the album. BLOOD PIN requires many plays in order to stick in the mind. WHO IS THE ROMEO? Well,
ryo, definitely. He really shines in the song. There is a playful and challenging tone in his voice. At the end of the song there is a C-part perfect for live shows. It's easy to imagine the audience squatting down and the
“THREE, TWO, ONE” as they jump up as high as they can. The last of the rock trio, SEEDS, is most memorable for its emphasis on the guitar.
The finishing track, Breath of Souls, is played by piano. It's a rather peculiar way to end the album, as it does not represent either the overall sound of the album nor H.U.G’s style. In any case, HELIOS as a whole is a very strong
debut album from which you can hear the long musical career behind each musician. From this release, it seems clear that H.U.G is a band where every member gets featured equally and is given space to shine.
HELIOS is available to download and stream on various online music platforms here. H.U.G also released a single titled CORE in October 2023, which featured a song titled HELIOS that was not featured on the album. A video for the song featuring
live footage can be viewed below.
