Jekyl: No Hiding Here

By: Ric Hickey

 

Hailing from County Kildare, Jekyl was this writer’s first inkling of an Irish Metal scene. A pleasant surprise it was too, cuz these guys flat out ROCK.

Combining all the best elements of vintage British Hard Rock and displaying absolutely none of Metal’s cheesy preening and posing, Jekyl hits like a fist to the face. Iron Maiden fans in particular will find a lot to love in Jekyl’s new 4-song EP.

While the band’s tunes don’t necessarily stick to the Maiden formula at all times, Jekyl vocalist Paul Harkin does an eerily spot-on Bruce Dickinson. The casual listener might even be excused for thinking at first that this is Iron Maiden. By which I mean to praise Jekyl for successfully emulating the gold standard in Metal, and one which most imitators fall way short of.

Don’t get me wrong: Jekyl is not a Maiden rip-off or a throw-back to the 80s. Drummer Shane Pearson, in particular, projects Jekyl into the 21st century with his machine gun rhythm and brutal chops. Though their influences are familiar, Jekyl strikes me as a blast of fresh air in today’s Metal scene. Reminding me of a classic formula that was unjustly shoved aside by the never-ending shifts and surges of the music industry, Jekyl is a Heavy Metal time machine, a class reunion of the Old School.

Jekyl’s sound conveys a strength of character and confidence that often takes years to cultivate. I would have never guessed that the band formed just a couple years ago and I can’t see how these guys can stay unsigned for long.

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