The Hypnophonics – Citizens Of Oblivion

Montreal psychedelic garage-a-billy powerhouse The Hypnophonics return after a decade-long hiatus.  Depending less on their psychobilly roots and more on a scrappy rock n’ roll attitude, the former quartet has since expanded to a full five-piece with some shuffle of membership (the most notable being upright bassist Flipper’s departure to focus on The Gutter Demons).  The band marks their return with the release of the frantic four-song EP, Citizens Of Oblivion, a spastic, hip-shaking mission statement sure to remind the world of all we’ve been missing out on in The Hypnophnics’ absence.

Listeners will immediately notice that the band overwhelmingly takes their lead from the garage-punk school of the genre.  Likenesses with garage-punk front runners Night Birds surface instantly with opener “Oh No! Oh Ya!”.  The band’s tight yet unhinged tempo clatters along like an old jalopy on a speedway – each bump in the road rattling the frame as if to pull apart at the seams.  In this regard the band feels more akin to European psychobilly classics like The Cramps and The Krewmen than the usual Montreal sound circa The Gutter Demons and The Brains.  The Hypnophonics screech and yelp with the best of them, expelling vocal convulsions like a misfiring laser from an 80’s sci-fi adventure.  The jangling retro vibe continues in the catchy chorus-heavy cries fuelling “Black Gloves,” with the band leveraging their identities as a crew of madmen on the fringe of sanity.  The Hypnophnics dive the deepest down the rabbit hole with the title track, “Citizens of Oblivion,” which marks the quickest, most spastic burst of energy on the EP.  It’s the type of track that makes you wish you were watching live so you could leap mindlessly into the fray and leave your inhibitions at the door.  The same can be said of the big ol’ bass-heavy rhythms and soaring rock n’ roll solos of “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” Energy and melody collide with hip-shaking results in a sonic fireworks display sure to leave listeners wide-eyed and catching their breath.

Citizens Of Oblivion is a fantastic return after a ten year hiatus.  While the album’s four tracks may leave listeners wishing this was a full length rather than an EP, it’s completely understandable that The Hypnophonics would opt for a test run prior to any formal comeback album.  If Citizens Of Oblivion is any indication, fans of wacky psychobilly and scratchy garage punk have plenty to look forward to in the near future.