MICHAEL & THE GUILLOTINE are not shy about picking a fight on “The Hydra Blues,” released on October 23rd. The Bavarian project describes the single as a bluesy, gritty alternative rock track about survival, fighting for your peace, and calling out the false prophets and self-appointed messiahs who think they own the truth. The Hydra of the title is a symbol of something that refuses to stay down, and the song frames peace as something you may have had to crawl through broken glass to earn, and which no one gets to talk you out of. The chorus is built around a profane, defiant challenge to anyone who believes they have all the answers, and the artist’s own pitch calls the whole thing loud, unapologetic, and a little unhinged.
The song hits all the notes you’d expect it to: it’s heavy, it’s powerful, it’s pretty unapologetically edgy. The pacing is great, and the dynamics between the verses and the choruses are incredible. It’s classic anthemic banger territory when it comes to the chorus especially, with huge drum fills and starts and stops that really sell the weight of each drop. The vocals are definitely a highlight here because those lyrics can easily just completely miss the mark if the vocals aren’t as commanding as they are here.
The band’s bio describes a body of work built around grief, desire, regret, love, and the memories that refuse to stay buried, so a track this combative shows another side of the project. It is a reminder that MICHAEL & THE GUILLOTINE can be as comfortable making noise as they are with atmosphere, and “The Hydra Blues” gives that side of them a loud, memorable headline. Anyone who has had enough of being told who to be will find something to shout along to.
