Prepare for takeoff. Boston based 5ive are guitarist Ben Carr and drummer Charlie Harrold. No bass, no vocals, no shredding, no posturing. Hesperus is heavy metal pure and simple - brimming with rudimentary motifs and a flair for the dark and dramatic. Carr’s guitar ethos is steeped in layers of distortion, yet his moments of clarity are equally engaging, as in the multi-tracked intro to “Big Sea” or echo-laden preface and wah-wah breaks of “Kettle Cove.” Harrold is his perfect foil, pummeling away as Carr soars, and twisting the tempo to bring him safely to earth when the mood fits. “Polar 78” is the album’s most tense moment as clashing harmonies and jazzy ride cymbals culminate with a gloom and doom scenario somewhere between Black Sabbath and the Velvet Underground. Hard rock’s answer to The Odd Couple?
--Tom Semioli
