HENGE – Journey to Voltus B | ALBUM REVIEW

Intergalactic oddballs, HENGE return with an out of this world release that will send fans over the moon.

Many bands make it difficult, or impossible, to pinpoint their exact sound or genre. Henge, fall into this category, sitting in a realm of their own. Their theatrical and energetic sound is as multidimensional as space as they collide space-rock, prog and electronic elements. Though deepening their eccentricity with each release they put out, one thing that never changes is their intense ‘comet-ment’ to the bit. Their latest offering of cosmic dross, Journey to Voltus B is no different. Blasting us off on a voyage to a faraway planet, each track whimsically details each stage of the adventure, fuelled by euphoric synths and vibrant rhythms. 

Opener ‘Ascending’ launches us full-throttle into exploration with thundering drums and robotic vocals before speeding up into the ultra-catchy ‘Slingshot’ as the band fire us off into the abyss. As we enter the midpoint of our journey, ‘Hypersleep’ slows into ambient, dreamy twinkles. Soft vocals swirl around, making you feel safe and placing you into a trance. But the dream doesn’t last for long. The last tracks on Side A advance at warp speed, with enough synth to have you wondering if you really have landed on a strange planet. 

But of course, planetary exploration would not be without its complications. As we meet the alien inhabitants of Voltus B we learn of their knowledge of atomic power. Side B of the vinyl version of the record includes an innovative tweak. Making an already awesome album that bit cooler, this side is cut in a “parallel groove” with the final two tracks placed over one another.  Therefore, the fate of the planet is placed into the listener’s hands (or rather, which groove the needle picks up once it’s placed on the record). Will the planet meet its annihilation and enter the dystopian bleakness of “Nuclear Winter” or will its inhabitants discover the limitless potential of “Nuclear Fusion” and creation of clean energy. Us earthlings can only hope they learn from our mistakes. 

There is always a case for an injection of fun and vibrancy in music, and that’s exactly what HENGE bring. As captivating on record as they are in person, listening or watching is an all encompassing, invigorating experience. Not only does this latest release deliver bouncy bangers and brain engraving sections, the storytelling really places you within their weird, colourful world and boy, is it a wonderful place to be.