Album Review: VITA est CIRCO

The Honeybee Rocket Scientists are a two-piece Auckland Rock n Roll band that are nothing like you’ve heard before.

A seamless and unique twist on surf rock combined with a hint of electro, grunge, punk, grunge and a healthy dose of distortion and melody.

VITA est CIRCO (Latin for Life is a Circus) is their second album and is twelve blistering tracks that will leave you a little bit frazzled but instantly a new fan.

Kicking things off with 7 6, a heavily inspired surf punk song. It reminds me of Butthole Surfers meets Black Flag, a take no prisoners assault that walks a fine line between, coming out of the mosh pit with a stomped foot, multiple bruises and maybe even a black eye. But you survived.

The fuzzed distortion and solid riffs are on point and throughout the twelve tracks, it feels like a Funhouse attraction. Lots of moving parts, every corner houses something slightly different, and I dig it.

Spoilt for choice, The Honeybee Rocket Scientists prove here, that their musicianship is unmatched and rather than follow the leader, they follow the path of unlimited creativity. They have created something for almost every reason, season or mood which can easily get lost in translation, but they execute it well.

Take Really Cheap Wine for example. A great little number, somewhere between rock n roll and indie with some pop sensibilities, literally about well, really cheap wine. It’s fun, quirky but still shows solid musicianship.

Elsewhere, Underground Rocket Ship to my ears has a slight Nirvana glaze (think Incesticide era) and I love the subtly but still fits with their sound without trying to be anything else.

A strong and eclectic second album.