Hot Water Music: Exister

Hot Water Music
Exister
Rise Records [2012]









 Fire Note Says: Hot Water Music returns with the same sharp edge they left with 8 years ago on their new record Exister.

Album Review:
Hot Water Music storms back onto the indie scene with this reunion record that represents the groups first new material in eight years. Of course that is a lifetime on the music scene and when you consider that frontman Chuck Ragan has been off doing the roots rock thing I think everyone had some concerns about what Exister would sound like.

Well - the good news is that Exister is another punk rock offering from Hot Water Music that is fairly straightforward, plenty fierce and fully confident. Fans will easily feel right at home here as the album is loaded with sharp 2 and 3 minute rocking tracks that is kicked off with the thundering "Mainline" which sounds like the band never left. Ragan sounds completely re-energized here and clearly has been saving up some angst for this record. The strong pounding rhythm on "Drown In It" also is another classic sounding HWM track which is a big sonic attack on the ears.

Not everything on Exister is in remembering the past mode as the band is much more melodic here. Many of the bigger rock tracks have a hook but on "Pledge Wore Thin", HWM changes to a mid-tempo delivery from Ragan before the big chorus hits which shows off a maturity to the group that wasn't there 8 years ago. On other newer sounding tracks such as "Drag My Body" the slower delivered verse doesn't necessarily work in the bands favor as the song tries a bit too hard to be different.

Hot Water Music have returned here with a solid record in Exister that should not only welcome back old fans to the party but grab the attention of new ones. The band has always delivered a type of no nonsense style of punk rock and that is the same emoting vibe on Exister. This familiar approach works again for the band and the additional hooks give the record some staying power. Exister may not be their best record to date but it certainly is entertaining and works well if you turn it up loud which is all I am sure you wanted to hear in the first place!

Key Tracks: "Mainline", "Paid In Full", "Pledge Wore Thin"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Rise Against
The Gaslight Anthem
Jawbreaker

Hot Water Music Website
Hot Water Music Facebook
Rise Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony