MY HEAVY MEMORY – Clarity

Clarity, the full-length debut from My Heavy Memory, kicks off with “Truth In Lies”, a Classic Metal jaunt with the dials of the Wayback machine set for the early eighties. Hailing from the Bay Area of California, My Heavy Memory carries a consistent aesthetic throughout Clarity, a title which could reveal that aesthetic–clean production values, steady, sharp instrumentation and an especially solid performance from vocalist David Hechim. With a voice similar in quality and delivery to Dave King in his Fastway days prior to leaving for Flogging Molly, Hechim’s wide range is at the forefront of “Truth In Lies”, which also features some nice guitar harmonies from Todd Galland and Eddie Koeller, whose friendship formed the foundation of the band.

“Keep Coming Back” begins with a spin through a radio dial that further reveals My Heavy Memory’s antecedents–the opening drone of Van Halen’s “Running With The Devil” is sampled or replicated in the radio noise. The song is another showcase for Hechim, who handles the slower material that usually reveals Metal singer’s weaknesses with effortless aplomb. “Bleed The Way” uses shifting tempos and tastefully layered vocals to augment another compelling track that combines Fastway (the first two minutes really could be dropped as a bonus track onto the self-titled Fastway album and blend in seamlessly) and Queensrÿche. The opening tracks set the stage for “Council Fires”, an ominous mini-epic with the band at their heaviest. My Heavy Memory builds on this vibe shifting into the title track, where Hechim lowers his voice an octave before stretching out in the chorus. Again, one is struck by how solid the production is despite Clarity being an independent self-release; the band has effectively captured the sound of early eighties major label Metal releases.

“This Might Be” has the band taking a half step out of the darkness with a song about new beginnings; “Made Of Thorns” brings listeners right back (backmasked vocals! What sorcery is this???) into the shadowed realm with a song about betrayal. “Made Of Thorns” and closer “Hanging By A Thread” both feature harmony vocals courtesy of Abigail Hechim.

With Clarity, My Heavy Memory delivers one of the best Classic Metal records yet of the year, one that skews more towards Hard Rock, with elements of Rainbow and Deep Purple alongside the aforementioned Fastway. There aren’t a lot of frills, flash, or distracting pyrotechnics here, just solid songcraft with a top flight singer at the fore. Clarity is a record for listeners who prefer the cake over the frosting; it’s definitely worth taking a big slice.