Hot on the heels of their full-length, Night Terror, Helms Alee provide this two song slab of a record to those who might be infected with the weirdly catchy and infectious sounds of their music. This band plays music not completely dissimilar from that of guitarist and vocalist Ben Verellen's previous outfit, Harkonen; only, Helms Alee seems to wield quite a bit more of a subtle melodic power in addition to the fuzzed out style of the former band.
Both "Lionize" and "Truly" are excellent tracks with their own merits. "Lionize" is an exercise in the loud to soft dynamic and back again with the soft parts being a good example of the adage that sometimes, simple is better; while the outro is heavy and punchy. "Truly" is quickly becoming my favorite track from Helms Alee (so far anyway) with its melodic undertones, vocal harmonies, and great arrangement; the piano in the bridge is quite a touch and completely pushes the song into a new level of awesome.
For all the goodness that is the two songs which the band offer here, there are several whoa (as in seriously) moments. One, this seven inch is only two songs; and yes, it does leave listeners wanting more (which is never a bad thing), but Helms Alee probably could give one or two more tracks on this tide people over. Two, this seven inch is expensive, really expensive; paying five maybe six bucks is one thing, but this sucker costs as much as nine dollars before shipping in some places and that is a great deal of money for just two songs. In the end, I truly enjoy this short record from Helms Alee and would not be able to live with myself if I passed up getting it because for "Truly" alone, it is completely worth it.
