Committed to a style and substance that simultaneously looks to the past and future, the five-piece soundtrack their role as esoteric prophets of doom with a sonic credo that proves genuinely idiosyncratic in the current climate – sharp, wit-filled and uninhibited stuff.

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DIY

With ‘West Of Eden’ HMLTD have fought off the suffocating grip of overhype to deliver a debut album that is a cut above the rest, even if it is a little overdue.

The London band throw together glam, goth, electro, Kurt Weill … and have even added conventional pop to the mix.

HMLTD refreshes and recontextualizes a slew of post-punk sounds on West of Eden.

West of Eden crowns HMLTD as one of few bands with a serious claim to artistic vision and sonic uniqueness.

So preposterously overblown as to almost satirise this past decade's pop timidity, West of Eden hopefully points the way to a more roaring Twenties.

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3mo

As a whole, West of Eden is extravagant and ridiculous, but it embraces its own eraticism.

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Their patchwork labyrinthine stories are only mostly enthralling – the whole piece doesn’t quite match the promises of full technicolour.

While there's ambition to admire in any album that begins with a funky apocalyptic assessment of Western decline, it fails to deliver.

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Ryan Benis

CW; child murder, dysphoria, toxic friendships, suicide, self harm, death, Stockholm syndrome.

I believe that HMLTD's debut record, West of Eden, is a rock opera concept album based on the mental anguish of millennials living in a post-apocalyptic 21st century and the mental unraveling of a suppressed trans women named Joanna.

But before I go deep into the concepts and themes explored in this album, I should probably speak on the actual music only slightly. Overall, I think this album is a ... read more

2y*

Plats

"West of Eden" is an unexpectedly fun record that pulls so much out of the kitchen sink yet a lot of it actually works! The variation is off the wall, with one going through a post-punk/trap fusion (it's way better than it sounds). While there are a couple moments of filler, the overall record was a joyous experience for me. The goth and glam stylings are great, the production is creative and the lyrics are frighteningly hilarious.

Fav Tracks: LOADED; Where's Joanna?; To the Door; ... read more

3y*

Beeyyaahh

I would by lying to say I wasn’t impressed with this record, mostly because it completely phased through every sort of bleak expectation I had for it. I had a few people I chat with say it was rather boring, some say it was fantastic, and for me going in blind? I really didn’t have much hopes of being blown away.

However, this album gradually grew over listens into one of the more unique albums so far this year. HMLTD, although I never heard their previous work, sound a lot more ... read more

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pancaake

really fun album , cant wait for the new one

kuba

▲ = Loaded, Satan Luella & I. Mikey's Song, Joanna, Where's Joanna, Death Drive. Blank Slate, War is Looming
▬ = The West is Dead, The Ballad of Calamity James, To the Door, Why, 149, Nobody Stays in Love, MMXX AD
▼ =

2mo

s3bbrs

A little all over the place but when you get to the nitty gritty, its enjoyable, and fun even if the lyrics are a little dystopian, (Nobody Stays in Love).

3mo

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Track List

1	The West Is Dead 3:03	89
2	Loaded 3:16	93
3	The Ballad of Calamity James 1:31	80
4	To the Door 3:19	93
5	Satan, Luella & I 6:29	95
6	Mikey's Song 3:37	90
7	Why? 2:37	73
8	149 2:57 feat. Tallulah Eden	79
9	Joanna 2:22	91
10	Where's Joanna? 3:50	95
11	Death Drive 3:38	91
12	Nobody Stays in Love 3:27	89
13	MMXX A.D. 0:49	74
14	Blank Slate 3:44	91
15	War Is Looming 4:35	80