THE HYBRIS continue to tackle the worsening state of the world on their ambitious and politically charged third album t h r e e
The ambitious scope of their sound and the fully realised, digital realm and universe that it exists in is something that meant that international trio THE HYBRIS immediately caught our eye and captivating our attention the second that we immersed ourselves within their unique world. The release of their third album t h r e e is a new instalment and chapter in this story, and one that we’ve been excited to delve into.
The album opens with ‘Capital of Sin (Ringo Begins)’, Ringo Rabbit being one of the three masked, wannabe superheroes that comprise of THE HYBRIS alongside Beanie Bison, and Malcolm Mandrill. The track serves as a powerful and atmospheric introduction to proceedings, offering some lore and insight into the album and the motivations and backstory of one of its protagonists in a way that feels intense and dynamic, with the melodic singing and tense, spoken word making for a really interesting contrast.
‘Back to Earth 1’ follows and delves into a more nostalgic and timeless rock feel musically, bringing a wealth of energy and dynamism and providing a contrast to the more brooding and meticulous feel of the previous track with sing-a-long woah-ohs and catchy moments that pack a hefty punch.
The gorgeously expansive instrumentation of ‘On The Day We Met The King’ makes for a swaggering and jaunty sound that keeps the energy levels high while delving into a more industrial and experimental sound at times. The thing that makes these tracks feel so exciting is the way that they all feel so vibrant and different to each other while being tied together by these triumphant, politically charged narratives and the bold ambition of their storytelling, making for a plethora of memorable moments and highlights throughout.
Things take another violent stylistic shift on the hypnotic, dancey ‘And We Dance’, a track that once again epitomises the creativity and boundless possibility of the project, unpredictable in the ways that it shifts and moves while having this effortlessly groovy core that feels irresistible throughout.
There is an intense undercurrent to ‘Checkmate In Two, Donnie’, a track that has an almost Linkin Park-esque feel to it thanks to the contrasting vocal tones and underlying tension that threatens to boil over, while ‘Monopoly With Karl Marx: Capitalism Is Fun’ is packed with the kind of biting commentary and scathing honesty that the name implies, while the gritty, powerful guitar riffs and rhythms more than hold up their end of the bargain.
Following the dynamic ‘Election Day’ which sees the band laying out their manifesto for hope and change in an optimistic new world, ‘We Go The Extra Mile’ provides a fresh dose of energy and enthusiasm as they continue their crusade against the corporate world and the corruption and unfairness that they’re fighting against.
The fierce and fiery nature of ‘From Dusty Pastures To Savoir-vivre: Beanie Begins’ serves as another high-octane dive into one of our protagonists, this time Beanie Bison, and utilises a children’s choir to create the atmospheric feel and pomp and circumstance that such a big moment on the album benefits from hugely.
The instrumental call it a day makes for something of a departure from the usually frenzied and more energetic vocal-led tracks on the album, and provides a real moment of reflection as a result, following tracks that have delved into themes like politics, the worsening state of the world, and the people at the top of the chain who are imposing all of this on normal, hard-working people. It is this cycle and these injustices that mean that people dream of heroes such as this trio to save us and offer some kind of retaliation, and it provides an album steeped in fantasy with a real dose of reality and gives the narratives a real gravity and rawness.
