Chicago’s favorite duo Local H is taking the world by storm with their latest release Live in Europe, which drops on Feb. 6. Recorded during their international Dead To the World Tour with Helmet, the album perfectly captures the group’s rampant rock resonance that fans love so much.
Throughout Live in Europe, vocalist/guitarist Scott Lucas and drummer Ryan Harding produce mammoth sounds while breathing fire into tracks from Local H’s entire discography. The screeching feedback at the opening of “Nothing Special” serves as a warning letting listeners know that, while they may be experiencing Live in Europe from the safety of their homes, cars or earbuds, they are still at great risk of getting their faces melted off.
The ever-scorching “Fritz’s Corner” comes in quick with Harding’s unrelenting rhythms giving Lucas room to dispatch guttural riffs under the magnetic melody of the As Good As Dead favorite. Later, “High-Fiving MF” – with an extended intro – continues to conjure memories of grunge’s heyday while capitalizing on the desire to engage in a united f*ck you to oppressors everywhere. The track ends with cheers from the European crowd in celebration of the collective cathartic experience.
Local H at Empty Bottle in Chicago on May 28, 2017
“Here’s a song about an a**hole. It goes out to Trump,” Lucas says leading into the Hey, Killer rocker “The Misanthrope.” While the lyrics are poetic in a concise seething rage, it’s the furious instrumental mid-song jam that reveals more than words could ever say. Getting a little help from their friends in Helmet for “Hands On the Bible,” Local H patiently weaves the slow-burner into an all out assault – complete with crisp wailing guitars, penetrating drums and howling vocals – making the Here Comes the Zoo track a bona fide highlight.
Local H represents all that is rock and Lucas and Harding explore every inch of the genre throughout Live in Europe. Bouncy and fun, the tracks “Freshly F*cked” and “That’s What They All Say” feature irresistible hooks that demand movement while “The One With ‘Kid’” is ballad-like in its unhurried verses (after the delightfully distorted intro, that is). “Bound For The Floor,” “City of Knives” and “Back in the Day” are further standouts of the release.
The seven-minute epic “John The Baptist Blues” closes things out with a scorching conclusion that epitomizes the essence of the live Local H experience – loud, precise rock music brought to its greatest heights with freeing abandon. Head over to LocalH.com to pick-up your copy of Live in Europe.