Pekelné Kone - Všetko Pominie (2022)
By Flork!
It’s not always doom and gloom. Sometimes there are days when the word of the day is ‘chill’. And perhaps if you were to sum up in one word Všetko Pominie (Everything Blows Over) the debut release by the Eastern Slovak group Pekelné kone, then ‘chill‘ might be your best choice. These are the types of feel-good tunes that you’d chill with either alone or with a group of friends, and can be listened to everywhere, whether in a bar or on your car stereo.
The 12-track folk-punk-country-blues collection by the Prague-based foursome from Prešov is an interesting accoustic collection of tracks that were predominantly written by the lead singer Tomáš Hricišák in the year 2018, and the demo was prepared with his longtime musical partner and bassist from their former 90s band Nonsense a Zlý Svet, Jozef Zeleňák. However, recording and mixing took a couple of years, with the original intent of releasing a 7-track EP. Later, though, 5 additional tracks were written and recorded in that time, as well as the addition of new members, who now create the present line-up.
When listening to the tracks, I’m reminded quite a bit of some of the legends like Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, songs that are somewhat poetic in nature, but hardly poems at all, since all the tracks are more about telling stories and sharing experiences. Tomáš Hricišák is credited with writing all the lyrics and does an amazing job of interpreting his stories in the form of songs that are reminiscent of folklore tales and campfires. The vocals are a combination of spoken word and melody with the rhythm of the bass being its main support.
In a way, the whole album is like being at an apartment party with a half a dozen or so close and new friends. The opening track Ako Tieň (Like a Shadow) is a short, bluesy tune that sets the atmosphere for the evening ahead. It’s a great song and was, in fact, recently released as the third single from the album with a great video that accompanies it (the previous two singles, Nenávidím ťa and Hlasy v Hlave were released independently before being put on the album). The second track, Slovenský Seattle, is a tribute to Prešov and brings the album to a lively level. This continues with the title track Všetko Pominie where the party is now becoming very interesting and a second round of drinks are being poured. Za Horou Za Dolinou (Beyond the Mountain and down the Valley) now has us feeling cozy and relaxed. It’s a bit slower than the previous track, but this is by far my favourite track with great backing vocals and studio production.
The remaining tracks on the album continue with jazz or blues beats and rhythms, with added banjo and mandolin in such tracks like Hlasy v Hlave (Voices in my Head) and Milenial. The party ends much as it began with Srdce (Heart), a Mississippi-jazz style song with definite comparisons to the singing style of Leonard Cohen. But that’s a good thing, since its revival works well with the original Slovak lyrics and music and gives a younger audience a taste of a style that isn’t heard too often anymore.
Judging from the couple of reviews that have already been published since the album’s release (February 2nd, 2022), Všetko Pominie is off to a positive start and hopefully 2022 will be good to the band. The album is available digitally from bandcamp.com
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