Conference napalm::heavy_metal

"Energy pervades local band Hydra's five-song album"

Review by Todd Caudle (Gazette Telegraph, 22.Sept.1989)
<reprinted without permission>


Hydra is one of only a few local bands that has shown promise in writing
original material.  With the release of "Hylife", the quartet takes the
opportunity to strut its stuff to the recording marketplace.

The philosophy of the band's members is simple.  They're not trying to 
cross into any brave new frontiers; they're simply playing a kind of 
rock'n'roll music that's fun to play and fun to listen to.

This just released five-song EP has some really good stuff on it.  In true
rock'n'roll fashion, there's plenty of hormonal strutting, party-atmosphere
lyrics and bold, uptempo playing.  "Shy Boy" tells the tale of the great
girl-chase, and "I'm in Love with Girls" repeats the theme.

"Dreamscape" takes on a slower, art-rock feel, and "Life Preserver" and
"World's Gone Mad" finish the EP with out-and-out rock zeal.  The steady
beats of drummer Skip Turbo and the band's newest member, bassist Rob Lee, and
punchy guitar leads by Ken Weaver set the music on a solid course.

Vocalist Dayven Lee occasionally pushes his voice a touch too far toward
the higher scales, but he's got a good, listenable voice.  His lyrics are 
insightful romps.  Lee also augments the music with some well-placed 
keyboards.

My one beef with the EP is that the production sounds excellent until you 
hear Lee's voice.  He's got power behind his vocal chords, but the EP's
mix makes him sometimes sound whimpy.  His vocals deserve to be pushed
right to the front, so there's no missing his talent.

 

    That's wierd, Todd Caudle giving ANYONE a favorable review!?  Hey what
    can ya say?  (for most of you that don't know, the guy is pretty much
    of a jerk with his reviews...)
    
    Some of us caught Hydra last night and it was a pretty good show
    overall (aside from a mix problem and some minor technical
    difficulties).  The band played well and the newer material is sounding
    very good.
    
    gh

Devil Dud was just that.....don't anyone think that the Devil Dog is a big 
partier.... hahaha... :-)

Anyway, the show was great on Sunday......(did your lead singer get his 
hair frosted?  he looks a little different)  As was stated already, the
sound left a little to be desired.....couldn't much hear the snare at all....
The bass player's got a lot of energy!  the stage looked great with the 
lights and the smoke.....

the tape sounded really good from what I heard when they were playing it after
the show.....can't wait to get my copy today, Skip/Bob!

/kath

================================================================================
Note 677.3                            Hydra                               3 of 4
CSC32::B_TURNBAUGH                                    7 lines  27-SEP-1989 11:29
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
     Thanks to all the people that showed up on Sunday night, we
    appreciate the support. Anyone that didn't get a tape and wants
    one let me know. This includes you Metal'rs from back east.

    Hydra will be playing Dec/3 at the Gardens. This time with our own
    sound man!! Opening the show will be the ultimate in posers
    Caught in the act.
    
    P.S. Bang Tango canceled as the opening band for Bad English and
    we were in the running. It came down to us and Titan Force(a thrash
    band) with Todd Coddle as their manager, and they won out. I'm
    bumming big time!! Oh well at least we are now in with Pinnacle
    Productions, they are responsible for bringing in Winger,Warrant,
    Bullet Boys, and allot of others.  Next Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                             Skip/Bob

>    Hydra will be playing Dec/3 at the Gardens. This time with our own
>    sound man!! Opening the show will be the ultimate in posers
>    Caught in the act.

	 Hahahahahahaha!!!!!  What a laugh!  I've gotta see this...the
	 ultimate poser group that YOU have been opening for in
	 Denver, is opening for YOU down here.  I love it.

	 Pray tell, your new sound man wouldn't happen to be the
	 standup artist, would it?  :-)
	 


	 bummer on the Bad English show, but at least it gets you
	 noticed......the other band isn't from around here, are they?
	 Never heard of them.....

	 Are you playing anytime before Dec 3 in Denver?

	 kath

     Kath, Titan Force is from around here. They came out with an album
    about 8 months ago (with Todd Caudles backing) and then went and did
    a USO tour of the world and are now back. They don't really play in
    town much since they are generally a thrash band.

    
    Just got "Hylife" yesterday.  Have not gone anywhere without it.
    Good stuff, Skip!
    
    J.
    

    
    To Skip and all the guys in Hydra, GREAT SHOW GUYS!  Had a lot of fun
    at the show, musically and scenically 8) !  The mix was great!  Alot 
    better than it was at the battle of the bands!
    The boys were really impressed and we all got some very vital
    information from you guys!
    Thanks a lot!
    
    J.

    Like, why tell skip in here? he doesn't read this notesfile. 

     Like yes I do, "Vally Dog".  J, thanks allot for comming on out and
    supporting us unlike the "Vally Dog" that can't ever get off the
    coutch to go see a band!! Jesse all those gold chains weighing you
    down???
    
    It was really nice to do a show that went so well, no landing
    instructions comming through the Marshalls this time!!
    I guess the band took half the bar back to our warehouse to unload
    and party. A couple of fights broke out and people went to the 
    Hospital. Real glad I went home after the show.  Skip/Bob

    Yo, Turnbaugh dude...
    
    You playin during the Memorial Day weekend at all?
    
    I'll be in the springs 

    Yo Back,   I will be windsurfing over Memorial weekend from May 25th
    
    to May 28th. But we will be playing in Denver May 30th. If you will
    
    be here as early as May 23, you can come hang out the last day of
    
    our video shoot. Send me your address if you want one of our tapes
    
    so you know what you're in for. Hopefully we won't be to POSER
    
    for ya!!!  s/b

    
        Well GH,J-DOT, what did you think of the show Sat night? Any
    
     constructive criticism, any flames? What did you think of our new
    
     YOUNG GUN??                              Skip
                                        

    Hi Skip,
    
    Sorry I didn't have much time to talk after your show Sat. night.  You
    guys played a little later then I expected and I had to run off home
    quickly (like a good little boy).
    
    Like I told you then, I really enjoyed the show.  The sound was good,
    but the mix was similar to the band on before you that you complained
    about...drums pretty low in the mix (I couldn't hear the kick), really
    heavy on the vocals.  As usual, when Daveen (geez, did I spell that
    right?) played his synth, it was overly dominant in the mix. 
    
    I like your new guitar player a lot.  He had a cool tone from his
    Marshall and didn't abuse effects.  I don't mean this as a slam on Ken,
    because I liked his sound too, this guy's just different.  I noticed
    that he didn't play Kens solos, but added his own sound.  He plays some
    interesting stuff, but there was one riff that Ken did in "World Gone
    Mad" that I really liked and was kind of disappointed that the new guy
    didn't play.  He gives your music quite a lot harder edge, which kind
    of surprised me.  I had thought that you guys were aiming for that kind
    of glossy, produced pop-metal kind of sound.  
    
    Given this change, I think you can really put in a lot of the big
    double bass drum stuff (that I thought would have sounded great before)
    and it'll fit really well.  Maybe you won't get any complaints this
    time.  8^)
    
    As usual, the band sounded really tight.  One think I personally could
    live without is Daveen and Roberts overuse of profanity during their
    between-song chit-chat.  It's not like that offends me or anything (but
    it would have offended my wife, if she'd been there!), but it just
    sounded kind of contrived, y'know?  I also thought that the jam you did
    on the last song was a little bit too long.
    
    Kind of a shame that so many people left after you started playing. 
    When you went on, the place was packed out and it seemed to thin out by
    about 1/3 to 1/2 within the first 3-4 songs.
    
    gh
                       

    re: profanity
    
    also a pet peeve of mine.  Some of the most intelligent people I know
    make themselves sound so ignorant!
    
    Mike

    I wouldn't necessarily say it's a pet peeve of mine, it just seemed out
    of place in that context (like they just stuck it in there because they
    thought someone would like it or something).
    
    gh

    
      Thanks for the feedback Greg!! When we played at the Beach Party
    last week there were some friends of mine there with their familys
    and they wern't impressed with the language eather!!     Skip

    
    Here's my $0.000000000001...
    
    As I said also after the show, I was blown away.  I **finally**
    heard Robert's bass lines.  I thought the mix was good, and better 
    than the one at the gardens where all I could hear then was vocals
    and the keys.
    
    Torey does add "depth" (?) to your sound and personally, I think he 
    fits you guys really well.  Not saying one guitar player is better 
    than the other, but rather, he did add an "edge" to your sound.
    I thought Torey did a real good job at his interpretation of the 
    songs.
    
    The drum solo was good!  "Oh, god!  There goes Skip showing off again."
    ;^>
    
    I thought the guitar solo could have been a little longer, though.
    Let Torey rip it out, you know?
    
    As far as the language goes, well, maybe 15 times was a little out of
    line, but it did get the crowd going, right?
    
    Overall, Siskell gives it a thumbs up, like Ebert did earlier.
    
    J-Dot
         

    
    Restrospect; remember how I said you guys were sort of a cross 
    between Rush and Outfield? 
    
    Revision; Now it's like Rush meets Zak Wylde!  I likes it!
    
    J-Dot

    
    J,
    
      Our new YOUNG GUN just told us that he has been excepted to MIT
    after a year and a half of applying. He is giving it up to stay with
    us!! Hope to see ya at the show this Sat.              Skip
    
    P.S. We will have pyrotechnics and lasers from HELL.

    Ditto on the "accepted"..I was just going to say that.
    
    FWIW Pete, it was MIT as in Musicians Institute of Technology (the GIT
    section) in Holleywood, not MIT as in Mass. Inst. of Technology.  I
    rather doubt his parents would care much in this case...
    
    gh

    
    GH,
          It was dark in the club, and I think it was a girl. Since he
    didn't introduce me maybe it was the guitar player form Eden. Is
    J hopping that fence??

    Okay, which Hydra member did I meet ?
    Some dude with a VERY LOUD Marshall MOSFET like Scary's.
    
     That guitar player for Eden is pretty good eh ??
    
    jc

    
    jc,
    
        You met our new "YOUNG GUN" Tori Dennim. He doesn't work and
    just hangs out practicing amongst knee high beer cans.

    re: Coop
    
    I donno who all you ended up meeting.  Sasha is one of the two guitar
    players from Eden, long straight blond hair, real friendly, plays
    Charvels through a Boogie. 
                               
    gh

    RE: .53
    
    Yeah, thats him !!  Damn his hearing must be gone !!  I hadn't heard a
    Marshall that loud since I met Scary !  ;)
    
    Yeah, I met Sasha too.  He's a nice guy...plays/sings good too.
    
    jc (Who sez:  Lets ROCK Colorado !)

    
    Sasha and Tori are both REAL GOOD PLAYERS!!!  
    
    And as far as me gettin' a date.  Are you spreading vicious rumors 
    about me, Skip?  Everybody knows that I don't get dates.  Somebody 
    looking for a free meal/drinks every now and then, maybe...
    
    SoHong

    
    Like the Frizkid said Colo Springs biggest headed "Cock Rock Band"
     
    Hydra is no more!!!  Mods can delete this to save space if they like.

    
    
    >  Hydra is no more!!! 
    
    Boo hoo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ;-(
    
    
    Will my Hydra tape now be a collector's item?
    
    And my Hydra t-shirts? ;-)
    
    kat
    

    Greg House has the low down on the Jam Vac tapes.  he has vintage sh*t
    *I* don't even have!!
    
    Like the impromptu Sweet Jane version!!

>           -< Standin on the corner...<da da>...suitcase in my hand >-
    
    And you told me you couldn't understand Con's singing...  Sly dog!  ;^)

>    Greg House has the low down on the Jam Vac tapes.  he has vintage sh*t
>    *I* don't even have!!
 
    Not my fault you gave it all away.  I'd be happy to sell ya a copy
    back...  ];^)
       
>    Like the impromptu Sweet Jane version!!
    
    SCALDING!
    
    gh