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Halon, "Assault on Tower 61"
It is no surprise that Halon is receiving props and comparisons to Trans Am. Their sound is very much a combination of electronic beeps/synthesizer glory and rock aggression. Slowing it down here and there, Halon let the groove settle in, and even throw in the odd field vocal for good measure or sing a bit. Their sense of humor is also firmly in check, like on the aptly titled "Conan Main Title".
Their debut release, 'Assault on Tower 61' is the makings of a great band at its genesis. Matthew Taplinger and Rob Levally in particular, two-thirds of the band, show themselves to be extremely talented individuals, playing whatever is needed (guitar/synth/laptop or drums/sequencer) from one track to the next to get the sound just right. I'm not discounting bass player Jed Robertson, though, as it's his low end that holds most tracks together. Tracks vary in sound, though not wildly, as the album progresses, from the eerie keyboard pulse and steady rhythm of "Power Plant", to the angry Black Sabbath wail of "Ver Magnuson", to the mild interlude or frenetic dissolution of shorter tracks like "Big Sky" and "Word to the Wise". Not surprisingly, the recording quality also varies, which seems to be a conscious and planned thing with Halon, where with others it just depends on where they recorded. Even if it is accidental for Halon, it adds an interesting dimension to their already diverse sound. 'Assault' is everything you want in a debut release: a fresh sound, good songs, and a feeling like there's so much more room to grow. It won't be long until Halon won't be compared to other bands, but other bands will have to be compared to them
 
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