Touting an enveloping instrumental rock sound, Haag the Huge is the latest EP from Haag. The Tehran-based project began in 2011, initially dabbling in Pink Floyd covers, and has since expanded into crafters of excellent original content. Amirhossein Rezaei (drums) and Mohsen Rezaei (guitar) enamor with a charismatic vein of instrumental rock, fond of satiating structural evolution, evolving rhythms, eclectic guitar tones.
Ardent guitar work and the found of footsteps establish a climactic intrigue on opening track “Alpha Grade,” which expands steadily into a series of melodic guitar lines — from initial howling soaring into an organ-laden dreaminess in the back-end. “Keep Under Wraps” follows with a more immediate unfolding of buzzing, bluesy guitar unveiling. Pit-pattering percussion and doses of distortion excel seamlessly into more psych-touched, subdued immersion. The EP’s opening one-two punch immediately showcases the act as capable of dynamic, ear-catching guitar work that reveals itself with enjoyable momentum.
All five tracks on the EP captivate with their own personalities. Spacey synth integrations and chilly, twangy guitars build a striking soundscape on the gripping “Permeable Isolation,” rising with vigor past the one-minute turn, while “Haag the Huge” caps off the EP with a thick bass-thumping pulse — expanded upon gradually into a fervent array of guitars and electrifying organs. Haag the Huge is a consuming success of a rock EP from Haag.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
