Discover Heart Rot’s ‘thrashingly’ angsty Grunge Waltz.
Heart Rot – ‘Anchors To Elsa’
‘Anchors To Elsa’ opens with the distant, ominous sound of crashing thunder, and honestly, it doesn’t get much happier from there. This is a wailing song of angst, so get with Heart Rot and lash on that black eyeliner – the Elsa mentioned here is definitely not the one of ‘Frozen’ fame. (Or if she is, Arendelle is in bad shape.)
Heart Rot is an all-female rock band based in New York City. This track makes up half of their 2-part debut release, with the other track being ‘Sunday Night’.
‘Anchors To Elsa’ is an unabashedly morbid Grunge Waltz, with moody lyrics and vibes bordering on the nightmarish.
‘Elsa pours, Elsa screams, Elsa falls over her knees’ sing the unsettling opening lyrics. They remain vague on the details, but paint a picture of mental turmoil, hauntingly remarking that ‘Elsa’s drained, she’s quiet now’ and ‘Episodes will come and go’. The melodies are insistent, with a wailing ‘Woah’ refrain that’s easy to sing along to, the overall repetitiveness creating a trance-like effect. They’re delivered in compelling, gravelly lead vocals that show a lot of power, ranging from moaning to screaming, and backed up by whispery BVs.
The production combines haunting guitar picking, quavering synths, thrumming bass and moody beats, with a definite 90s flavour, referencing acts like The Pixies. There’s a gothic twist here too in the dramatic styling, with large dynamic shifts and angsty guitar solos. At over 5 minutes, it’s a little too long but would work well in a late-night gig setting. Grunge and rock fans should give this a listen.
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Words Eden Tredwell
