Haneke Twins - Haneke Twins

Haneke Twins

​Haneke Twins
self-released; 2018

​3.8 out of 5

By Jay Freeman

Old band mates, who are also longtime friends and work colleagues, sure can make a fantastic first record. The Hanake Twins (aka the two CERN scientists) are based in Switzerland and just last September put out their first EP by the same name. Recorded at the DUDU Loft Studios in Athens, Greece, the group consists of Stefanos Leontsinis on guitars and Paschalis Vichoudis on vocals and bass. Additional drum playing was done by Kostas Zabos on all of the tracks. For those who are Doors fans, they do a sweet rendition of “The End” as their last track. And for others, like me, who are nuts about Joy Division, you’ll hear some mighty fine influence from this iconic band, not to mention bits of Nick Cave. For those who still geek out on album covers…yes, again me – the band’s album photo was done by Menno de Groot.

The lyrics to “Deep” are indeed deep. I mean I have no idea how to interpret them. Maybe some of the words were taken from poems by Stathis Antoniou, as the band’s biography point out. But anyway, I don’t think one needs to understand what’s being said in order to enjoy the song, in terms of its musical style – and man, did I enjoy this one. I couldn’t get enough of it! Dark, brooding, and gothic – to me, this stuff never gets old. It has the classic hallmark sounds of the dark undertones of Joy Division – with Vichoudis channeling Ian Curtis and Peter “Hooky” Hook. At times, he sounded like Peter Murphy from Bauhaus. Overall, I thought the twins brought an edgier, more intense feel to this opener.

“Climb” speeds things up with a faster tempo. This one gets even darker, in my opinion. There is a break where the drums drop out for a bit towards the end, and overall there seems to be more action and energy with the guitar riffs and off beats. The words seem to suggest either climbing a literal mountain or just some obstacle with mountain used as a metaphor. Either way, it didn’t matter to me I loved it. “Lost” starts off with a thick and heavy bass line, thundering drum fills and an eerie, echoing guitar. The style, or styles within the song, range from haunting indie-alternative to punk, thrash and new wave. For those who love dark, brooding instrumentals with lovely surprises, you’ll like this one for sure.

“Drive” was rather memorable with its catchy guitar licks and drum rhythms. For those who appreciate Robert Frost poems from time to time will absolutely wonder why no one else has ever done what this band did. Unless I missed something in the last 20 to 30 years, putting snippets of a well-known classic poem by one of America’s beloved poets with an indie/alternative/goth/new wave music style is a first. Well done lads!

​“The End” a cover by the short-lived American band The Doors is darker and moodier than the original. The synth parts really gave this cover unique layers of sound. Stylistically, I’d say this one reminded me of The Cult meeting up with Sisters of Mercy and The Bauhaus. I wish though the twins would have recorded a longer version of it. Perhaps these longtime friends will do so on their next adventure, which I hope doesn’t take too long to make.

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