Established in Cambridge in 2017 by bassist Nick Blackburn, guitarist Nick Manners and drummer Joe Chivers, The Hot One Two quickly gained a reputation for playing up-tempo, insanely appealing hard rock inspired by the classics of the 1980s but injected with a healthy dose of modern metal attitudes. Following the releases of two EPs (Come What May in 2019 and Unrestrained in 2022), the band (completed by guitarist Kev Baker and vocalist Simon West) unleashed their debut album, Superbia, in November of this year. Having only yesterday been announced as the Stonedead Festival opening band poll winners (after voting by the public in the heats and the Stonedead production team in the final), The Hot One Two’s reputation and fanbase is sure to grow even further.
From the very first notes of Superbia, The Hot One Two are a band that want to entertain. With a stimulating sound sitting somewhere between AOR sensibilities and a harder metallic edge, The Fray begins with intense, pulsating guitar riffs and is the perfect representation of what is to come throughout the album’s 40 minutes. There is a tight and energetic synergy between each member of the band and Simon West’s vocals shift seamlessly between the more insistent delivery in the verses to the rousing, melodic elements of the chorus. Lyrically - as with much of the album - there is an obscured and more complicated darkness across many of the songs. There is a depth of thought which highlights The Hot One Two’s ability to write astonishingly catchy songs while not allowing the lyrics to become trite or banal. The Fray delves into themes of someone in complete turmoil due to PTSD and their suicidal feelings of regret, internal conflict and a struggle for redemption in the face of what they see as impending consequences. You’ve been tearing up the night / You’ve been blocking out the night / Red sky burns the night today / My brothers buried, words obeyed / It’s like you don’t understand / What it takes to be a man. It is a potent and authoritative start to an album that has many such moments.
Tie Me Down (telling the story of an intense, complex and manipulative relationship) and You’ve Want It (I’ve Got It) follow and further develop the hard rock grooves, anthemic refrains and thoughtful use of guitar solos. Nick Manners’s lead guitar work on both tracks allows him to demonstrate both his innate talents and his ability to construct meaningful solos which do not simply rely on how many notes he can play in a short space of time but instead ebb and flow according to the needs of the songs.
Is It Hot? (which would not be out of place on an 80s hair / sleaze metal album) acknowledges the desire for success but with an underlying understanding of the need for resilience and determination while also hinting at the pressure for high levels of performance. For what it’s worth you’ll never cut it with the rest / We pushed you to the limits and you never passed a test / You fell at the first hurdle and you never found your feet / Stumbling around us acting like you’re not beat. However, the song also poses questions about the feeling of being at the top in any field, if it is really all it is made out to be, and the inevitable time when that ends. Is it hot? Is it hot? Is it hot right at the top? / You fought to be here, just a matter of a time ‘till you drop.
During the year and showing the faith the band has in the music, The Hot One Two have released six accompanying music videos, each one relating to one of the deadly sins. With so many videos relating to one album, the band have cleverly mixed different styles to maintain the interest of fans: From animation (God Forsaken Blues), storytelling (The Fray) and lyric videos (Demon Daze) to an insight of life on the road (Rolling Stone).
For the most part, Superbia features fast-paced rockers and therefore, it was a sensible decision to include Something Real. Slightly slower but no means a weaker track, the variation it brings is needed to bring some balance to the album. Something Real (as in some sections of Demon Daze and more explicitly in God Forsaken Blues) hints at the band’s love of blues rock and it will be interesting to see where they take this part of their sound in the future. Nick Blackburn’s bass throughout Something Real is excellent, driving the sound with an addictive groove, the perfect foil to Chivers’ precise and captivating drumming.
Demon Daze itself depicts a narrative of a blues musician (Clarksdale is mentioned by name) caught in a cycle of temptation, sacrifice and remorse. Suggesting an almost Faustian bargain through reference to signing on the dotted line, the protagonist also points towards struggles with dependence and self-destructive behaviour. On the road he took my soul / I took the dark trail / One more time sign your name of the dotted line / Drink down the best of the day / My son you ain’t done / You owe me more than that. The frantic nature of the song reflects the uncontrollable nature of his life.
Ending with Playing With Fire (one of several songs that encapsulates the exceptional contribution of rhythm guitarist Kev Baker), Superbia - complete with an extravagant and flamboyantly coloured album cover - captures a band on the rise. Some make argue that sonically, they are not breaking much new ground but when the songwriting is a strong as it is here, there is no doubt that The Hot One Two (now named as part of the New Wave of Classic Rock) more than deliver on the grounds of hook-laden, foot-tapping, arm raising rock – every one of tracks on the album would work well in a live environment. I look forward to seeing them in action at Stonedead 2024, if not before. Catch them if you can!
Written: 16th December 2023
Superbia is out now. Visit The Hot One Two's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/thehotonetwo
Watch the videos for The Fray and God Forsaken Blues below.
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