Album Review: Shai Hulud- Hearts Once Nourished With Hope And Compassion

Just a small note, this is actually the cover of the 2006 remaster, which I like more than the original, so I'm using this one

Year Of Release: 1997

Label: Crisis Records, Revelation Records

Lineup: Chad Gilbert (vocals), Matt Fox and Oliver Chapoy (guitars), Dave Silber (bass), and Steve Kleisath (drums)

Genres: Metalcore, melodic hardcore

Tracklist

1. Solely Concentrating on the Negative Aspects of Life (3:08)

2. My Heart Bleeds the Darkest Blood (2:05)

3. Outside the Boundaries of a Friend (3:32)

4. Beliefs and Obsessions (2:45)

5. A Profound Hatred of Man (3:05)

6. Beyond Man (2:54)

7. This Wake I Myself Have Stirred (2:47)

8. Eating Bullets of Acceptance (2:35)

9. For the World (11:56) (spoiler alert, there's also a bonus track about six minutes in, and another little bonus track about ten minutes and fifty seconds in)

Ya know, I absolutely love '90s and early '00s metalcore (or "metallic hardcore," if you will) and mathcore. The good shit, before all the Gothenburg-lite melodeath kinda metal"core," before the scene mallcore that gained popularity in the 21st century. And while I can get behind some of that stuff (Killswitch Engage is pretty badass if I do say so myself), it just doesn't scratch the same itch. I know, I know, I'm so damn needy!

To me, that old school metallic hardcore kicks a, quite frankly, absurd amount of ass. Ludicrous, even! Absolutely bonkers! I love the ruthless aggression, the energy, the anger, the sorrow, the happiness, and the heart and soul the OG stuff provides. And I love how a lot of old school metalcore is actually, ya know, hardcore. The fiery intensity, emotional depth, righteous fury, the song structures and riffs. Many later, more popular bands definitely cranked up the metal, but lack a little in the "core" department besides breakdowns. But enough yelling at clouds (and in all fairness, plenty of old school metalcore bands are also decidedly more metal than hardcore, and they still fucking rule), let's actually discuss the damn band!

Live show from 1997 in what looks to be someone's basement. Photo courtesy of unARTigNYC

Shai Hulud was one of the most beloved bands of this era. And one of the most exciting! Formed in 1995 and arriving from Pompano Beach, Florida in a blaze of glory, they were undoubtedly one of the most influential hardcore bands of their time. A vast number of metalcore bands ranging from As I Lay Dying to to 7 Angels 7 Plagues to Poison The Well to Misery Signals have all cited the influence this band had on them. But does the music live up to the hype?

Well, let me answer that with a resounding YES! This album is filled to the brim with intricate playing and in-your-face thrashing. Pissed off screaming gives the album a kind of frustrated indignation, with clean vocals kept to a minimum. And it's got plenty of badass nasty RIFFS, the pummeling assault of "For The World" being a prime example. All that with heavy punk breakdowns crank the intensity up to 11.

But this isn't all hardcore anger and facemelting metal destruction. You're not listening to a brutal slam band or raw black metal or batshit insane grindcore. Because these guys also had a real knack for melody and catchy hooks. A little calm WITH the storm, if you will. Listen to the chiming "This Wake I Myself Have Stirred" to see what I mean. I feel like it gives a certain sense of warmth to contrast the negative lyrics.

OK, fine. Here's the inferior original cover for the purists. Happy?

And boy, do I mean negative! The kind of pessimism where "glass half empty" seems positively sanguine. This album is misanthropic to the core. Songs like "A Profound Hatred Of Man" tell of an absolute disgust for humanity. We are garbage, and the world would be better without us. Combined with songs about unrequited love ("Outside The Boundaries Of A Friend") and insecurity/self hatred ("This Wake I Myself Have Stirred"), this album is cynical, cold, and unrepentantly bleak...

Or so music critics on the internet would like you to believe. But if you actually listen to what Chad is saying, then you can see that this album is a lot more uplifting than people give it credit for. Yes, misanthropy is a common theme on this album, but it offers a sense of optimism. The world might be a shitty place, but we can make it better. If we just cared a little more, if we showed more kindness to one another, it wouldn't be so bad. We have the power to change the world, we just need a little bit of hope and compassion.

This is the song that not only turned me on to Shai Hulud, but the entire metalcore genre period.

And that's why this album is revered not only as a classic of metalcore, but for hardcore overall. The intensity and anger combined with the melodies and hooks make a potent brew. It's great for both meathead thrashers and sensitive emos. And while I wouldn't quite call this album "emocore," (though I have seen some make the case, and it's honestly not a huge stretch), it's certainly emotionally charged, with passionate, poetic lyrics. This album is an icon of '90s hardcore, and it deserves that status 100%.

Now get out of here ya sillynannies, and listen to the damn album!