Huntsmen describe themselves as an Americana metal act, a sound that merges its parts remarkably well. On their debut album, American Scrap, they use the musical storytelling learned from the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and even Bruce Springsteen and infuse it within a metal exoskeleton. The end result is what you can hear on “Pyre,” a new song from American Scrap that begins with the style of the aforementioned influences before transitioning into a grittier, more sludge-focused sound.
On “Pyre,” Huntsmen sound exhausted, as if they are at the end of a long journey. The guitar melodies have a sad quality to them, and the vocals are delivered with great effort. It makes sense with the context of the song, which Huntsmen explain:
“‘Pyre’ is about a soldier trudging home through swampland at the conclusion of the Civil War,” they note. “It focuses on his mental collapse as he hears disembodied voices of other wounded and dying soldiers through the fog, and ultimately arrives home to find his family killed and his home destroyed by looters. It’s meant to tell a specific person’s story against the backdrop of war, which is one of our country’s most consistent endeavors, and which sits uncomfortably close to and usually exploits our more altruistic ideals as a people.”
Watch the video for “Pyre” below. American Scrap is out on February 23 through Prosthetic.
