Review: A Kew’s Tag – Hephioz

Style: Progressive Rock/ Alternative Metal (clean vocals)
Review by: Mathis
Country: Germany
Release date: 03 September, 2021

It’s rare to find new music that gives me goosebumps. A growing sense of immediacy in society has leaked into how artists make music. It is the unfortunate truth that music is produced way too quickly these days, and much is without originality or passion. Just turn on any radio station and you will hear how similar and uninspired some music is today; even niche genres like prog rock and metal suffer from this. A Kew’s Tag broke away from the trend and created something truly unique and exciting. It is called Hephioz.

A Kew’s Tag distinguishes themselves from other prog rock acts not only with this album, but also their line up. They are a three-piece band led by Johannes Weik on acoustic guitar, the talented vocalist Julian Helms, and Florian Weik killing it on the drums. They do have bass guitar too, which I’m guessing Johannes plays as well. Their sound is similar to what a heavier The Dear Hunter would be, with an experimental prog rock style that is complemented by more modern day djent riffs.

Hephioz is a tragic story about a young bird’s desires, and how they affect everyone around him. The bird’s name is Stravoz. The young Stravoz is curious about what lies beyond life in the tree, but no one ever leaves the tree because it lies within the safety of Hephioz’s gaze, the tree’s creator. Stravoz thinks he is just as curious as everyone else, but that isn’t the case at all. No other creature has ever thought once about leaving the paradise that Hephioz has created. Hephioz learns of Stravoz’s desire to see beyond the tree, and this is the spark that will engulf the boy’s life in an unrelenting flame.

Hephioz opens with a soft vocal line at the the beginning of “…T. R. U. T. H”. I figured as much. It’s not uncommon for an album to open with a slow song. Wait WHAT THE (insert preferred expletive here)!? Just Kidding, this isn’t a slow song at all! This is exactly why I love this album, they pull a fast one on you right from the start. Hephioz opens in media res, and it opens up right as things are getting hot! The energetic, chaotic, and heavy vocals alongside chunky riffs portray this scene so well. I have never heard of a concept album doing this. This is only the first track, and boy howdy, I’m already pumped up!

The second track is the prologue of the story, this is where Straphoz is formally introduced. It’s slower and calmer like I expected from the first song, but incredibly ominous. The last lyric is just so dang creepy too “And now the story begins”. It’s so unnerving, like a prophecy gushing with malice. Following the second track is “[Synopsis]”, and as the name implies it is a synopsis of the album. However, this is a purely instrumental synopsis. It has bits and pieces from each song in chronological order, essentially becoming a mini instrumental version of the album. I highly recommend listening to the album in its entirety, and then listening to this one once more to appreciate all the riffs, melodies, and emotions it captures from each song.

Songs 4-10 are the actual chapters of the story Hephioz. A Kew’s Tag effortlessly depicts all of the potent emotions in the story. Whether it be the use of staccato and playful picking to accompany the naïve Straphoz as he is exploring the tree’s boundaries, or the mournful string arrangement that aligns with Hephioz’s misery when he discovers one of his cherished creations wants to leave the tree. These guys took every piece of the music into consideration, far from being thrown together on a whim!

A Kew’s Tag has made a concept album very different from all the others in progressive music. So different in fact, it can be detrimental at times. Hephioz is so matter of fact in its writing that it is difficult to sing along with. There isn’t really a catchy chorus for your brain to latch on to, or any simple lyrical structure. It is kind of like listening to an audio book; a beautiful, intense, and tragic audio book. In fact, at the bottom of this review I’ve attached the actual literary piece to accompany Hephioz.

Overall, A Kew’s Tag’s Hephioz is an amazing listening experience that will tell you a story twofold, once by the lyrics and the other by the instrumentation. It is like no other concept album in its structure or sound, but that also takes away from the ease of casual listening.

The written story of Hephioz

Recommended tracks: Listen to the whole album!
Recommended for fans of: The Dear Hunter, Vola, Lunatic Soul
Final verdict: 9/10

Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Magic Mile Music

A Kew’s Tag is:
– Julian Helms (Vocals)
– Johannes Weik (Guitars, Vocals)
– Florian Weik (Drums)