Heavy Is The Head is a powerful hardcore band hailing from Richmond, Virginia. They work to provide lyrical content about broken social contracts within our country while still having that metallic hardcore sound. In collaboration with GGT Records, their debut 7” High Pressure is now available for pre-order here.
High Pressure starts out hard and heavy with Broken Flags. Out the gate vocals and instrumentals take you aback and already make you want to get rowdy. Groovy bits and prominent bass can be found throughout the song as well as a classic guitar solo that ties everything together nicely.
Riches follows along and brings in the thrash sound while still combining in hardcore elements. Wealth and how it is detrimental to our society seems to be the focus of this track. The lyric “This is the story of your empire falling” sticks out to me within all of this as it points out the empire of the wealthy and how it will eventually fall.
The third track on the EP, Foundations, brings back the punchy hardcore sound that we were met with to start out on Broken Flags. Do not be fooled as this track quickly switches into thrashy elements and keeps you on our toes with the back and forth feel of the two sounds.
Lastly, we transition into Deny. Deny brings us a song that makes me want to jump into the pit and go crazy. I, personally, am a sucker for the very traditional hardcore instrumental sound and this track does not fail to bring us that. If anyone went to the tour The Acacia Strain did with Kharma, I AM, and 156/Silence earlier this year, this feels like a song that would have fit in perfectly with this lineup. Deny, unfortunately, ends very abruptly leaving you wanting more.
For a band’s debut EP, I think this is one of the strongest starts I have seen for a hardcore band straight out the gates. Moving down to southwest Virginia, I never knew what I would be getting myself into with the hardcore scene, but I have seen so much potential already, and Heavy Is The Head is absolutely towards the top of the list for me. I am so excited for this EP to drop (and for everyone to hear Deny) and hopefully for the day that I can make it out to one of their shows and jump around the pit with my camera as if I have nothing to lose.