Below you’ll find a sample of HMH press clippings. Click on any links provided for extended articles, reviews and interviews to get the full story… Enjoy!
Heavy Metal Horns Reunite for the Closing of Johnny D’s
A.J. Wachtel | The Noise, boston.com | 04.01.2016
HEAVY METAL HORNS 25th Anniversary Reunion Johnny D’s, Somerville, MA, 2/26/16 – Tonight’s music is being played in front of a packed house and is sorta like Tower of Power meets Chicago, and I can feel the excitement in the air. The crowd is going nuts and getting louder and louder as the night proceeds… a great night of brass and funk.
Check out their set list: Old Heavy Metal Horns tunes “Snake” and “99%” by Peter Calo (currently with The Carly Simon Band) and “You Make Me Wanna Rock” and “Horns in the House” by Berklee legend Thaddeus Hogarth. And they cover “Champagne” by the Del Fuegos; “Hang Up Your Hangups” by Herbie Hancock; “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Blind Faith’s, Stevie Windwood and Tower of Power’s “You’re Still a Young Man.”
Trust me… the roof and walls of the club are shaking! And the band says they’re gonna be back for another gig or two real soon and I can’t wait. New music from this legendary band? Keep your fingers crossed and on the valves.
No Such Thing as Safe Sax with Heavy Metal Horns
J. Barry Mothes | Portland Press Herald | 01.30.1992
Boston’s Heavy Metal Horns might remind you of that old line about New England weather. If you don’t like the song they’re playing, wait a minute – the next one is likely to please.
And the Horns, a nine-piece band who will play at T-Bird’s Saturday night, are pleasing a lot more ears than not lately.
Henley Douglas, saxophonist and one of the founders of the two-year-old band, says the Horns are playing at least three gigs a week these days in and around Boston. And they’re even doing sound bits for BayBank commercials.
The Horns are veterns of the Boston and New England music scenes. And Douglas, John Vanderpool (tenor-alto sax) and Garret “The Kid” Savluk (trumpet) have worked together as a horn section for more than four years now. They’ve also recorded with James Montgomery , the Del Fuegos, the I-Tones and Plate o’ Shrimp, among others.
The Horns’ first album “Heavy Metal Horns” (Square One Records), has brought them airplay on college radio in Boston. And on local music shows on the bigger commercial stations. It’s a wildly varied 8-song tape. That runs from the mild, pop/funk touches of “Everybody Fall Back” to the bluesy gravel and grit of “Champagne.” Over to the snap and solo styling on the catchy instrumental “Pepper Pot.” And the group is expecting a second full-length recording out by September.
But, this is the kind of band that thrives on live shows. Their brassy blend of rhythm-and-blues, reggae, jazz, soul and funk, which has brought comparisons to Tower of Power. And has a way of turning rooms into a romp.
“We take the same show into every club we go to,” said Douglas. “And we do a lot of music and a lot of different styles. I think it has taken a lot of people by surprise because there are starting to be lines out the door.”
“There’s the rhythm section, and we have people from the (Caribbean) islands in the band. And that really is in everything we do. It makes for a real roots, groove-oriented show regardless of what style. And people get off with horns in your face. If you’re not into one form, wait for another song.”
The band has caught flak for their name from certain hand-wringing writers. Who have called it misleading, among other unpardonable sins. But, it is catchy and memorable.
Nothing lightweight about Heavy Metal Horns
Bob Blumenthal | The Boston Globe | 06.18.1991
Clouds and the threat of a shower could not keep the folks away from Charles Square late yesterday afternoon, where a large crowd heard the 10-piece Heavy Metal Horns kick off this year’s jazz festival with 95 minutes of funky dance music.
No, HMH does not play jazz in the sense of straight-ahead 4/4 swing; but it works extroverted improvisations and tight ensemble playing into the horn-heavy format popularized by such fusion groups as Chicago and Tower of Power. And, unlike the band’s appearance in the Jazzstage series last fall, where they mistakenly limited their repertoire to instrumentals, HMH took the opportunity to give a full showing of their musical interests.
These include reggae, urban blues, Afro-pop, soul ballads and even a bit of rap. While covers of material by Herbie Hancock, Steve Winwood and Tom Waits were included in their copious 18-tune set; most of the material was written by band members. The hooks could have been stronger in several of the originals, but each piece presented a distinct groove and a comfortable launching pad for the soloists.
It helps that HMH has three vocalists with distinctive approaches. Thaddeus Hogarth, who also plays most of the guitar solos, is the natural and intimate singer. And, gets the bulk of the vocal leads. Trombonist, John Ferry offers a gravelly contrast. Which proved particularly effective on the chugging “Cold Shack.” John Mathews, with a voice somewhere in the middle, gave a convincing reading to Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home.”
HMH also has its share of talented instrumental soloist. These include frontman Henley Douglas, who blew gritty, muscular tenor sax as well as a spot baritone. John Vanderpool, whose alto and tenor sax spots headed more quickly for the stratosphere; trumpeter Garret Savluk, whose relatively introverted approach lent a nice contrast. And especially Ferry, who can get all over his trombone but prefers to make his points riding a few rich, choice notes.
None of these players, or Hogarth and Mathews, got the opportunity to make extended solo statements. Although they appeared quite capable of sustaining interest if given the chance. Instead, the emphasis was on group execution, an area in which HMH excels. These guys could play more jazz if they chose to, but we’ve got the rest of the festival for that.
Heavy Metal Horns improves with success
Doug Roberts | The Patriot Ledger | 12.21.1991
With the recent release of the self-titled CD “Heavy Metal Horns” (Square One Records), we at last have evidence that this 11-man powerhouse is as potent in the studio as on the bandstand. Now that’s not to say that all jazz purists will immediately embrace the ensemble as their own… after all, there is a good deal of electric guitar for example. And, those instrumentalists that double as vocalists certainly draw some inspiration for rock and R&B.
On the other hand, when this group is in full flight, they can take a diverse program of songs by Maceo Parker, Tom Waits and Steve Winwood, mix them with originals, and produce music with a very wide appeal. There is the crisp impact of the Tower of Power, the solo skills of a top-notch big band, and a delightful lack of pretense or cliche.
