Heroes of History

Singing about monsters

Given the muddy recording quality and '70s punk-via-'50s-rock 'n' roll-revisionism of the first track, "We're All Gonna Die," listening to Heroes of History's Lightning and Thunder at first appeared to be a chore.

This writer's opinion went from "sounds like shit" to "this shit is awesome" fairly quickly. The band perfectly combines the jittery energy of punk, the aggression and bile of late '90s Chicago no wave, and my personal favorite, rock songs about monsters.

It would be easy to write Heroes of History off for such snot-nosed juvenilia, and seriously, "Here's to Democracy" is the only track of 12 that couldn't have been rooted in an EC horror comic book or a Misfits reference.

But you would be a fool to let such trappings turn you off of Lightning and Thunder. There are some truly live-wire tracks here, including the Rocket From the Crypt revival "Dragons" and the lively "Zombies Gots to Eat."

There is also something percolating beneath the surface of this record, a tension and gusto that is hard to ignore. Lightning and Thunder leaves the impression that the scary imagery is a ruse, and that there is something deeper going on.

Thanks to Mike "Rep" Hummel's production, the record sounds like a well-worn demo tape from 1982. You'll either love or hate that aspect of the disc, but it creates a nice aural timeline, connecting record after record over the past 30 years.

Heroes of History will perform Friday (Dec. 9) at Ruby Tuesday, 1978 Summit St. The Corndogs and Pink Owls open.

Rick Allen - The Other Paper

Mid-paced lo-fi melodic punk that reminds me instantly of SHOTWELL. Fellow Ohio bands like GAUNT have left their mark on these kids as well, and there are certainly good moments on this disc. I'm sure that sweat and beer help bring them to the forefront. (Robert) - Issue 339 - Maximum Rock and Roll

HEROES OF HISTORY:
Lightning and Thunder: CD
Cleveland! That’s the first thing that I thought when I put on Lightning and Thunder. I was wrong but close. They’re from Columbus, Ohio. So it’s an Ohio thing, apparently. If you were to ask me what this thing is, I really wouldn’t know what to tell you. It’s hard to put my finger on, but there’s this weird sound currently going on in Ohio and I can tell immediately where it’s from. I know that Ohio isn’t the only place that is putting out carefree, fun, shitty punk rock these days, yet, when I hear something like HOH, it immediately makes me think of bands like The Fucking Cops who are also from there. It’s not classic, timeless music or anything, but I don’t think that’s what they’re going for. However, if you want to bounce around at red light to some lo-fi, funny songs about werewolves and zombies and witches, then give this one a shot.
–Craven (Self-released) - Razorcake