“Speak of the Devil” is the much anticipated debut EP from HEMATITE, a dark and gritty offering not unlike the earthy mineral the duo is assumed to be named after. The brainchild of Davey Muise and Andrew Gaultier, HEMATITE was initially described as sounding “like Tom Waits took a road trip with Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash was driving stoned.”
And if your interest is not thoroughly piqued by that random collaboration, then perhaps we can remind you that Muise is associated with successful acts such as Vanna and Trove, while Gaultier is a current member of Big 50 as well as a former member of To Speak of Wolves and He Is Legend. With such musical endeavors under their belt, it’s not surprising that HEMATITE has created something remarkably eclectic.
“Switchblade Serenade” is the first of five tracks and welcomes listeners with audio commentary layered over a catchy, western-country riff that left me feeling like I was watching Robert Rodriguez’s 1995 film, Desperado. Picture an acoustic guitar soundtracking gun and knife fights in hole-in-the-wall bars paired with a healthy thickness of second-hand smoke in the air.
“Big Bad Wolf” and “Run Devil Run” both explore the potential darkness of the mind that we all try to avoid. Davey Muise is known for bringing those realities to the forefront with his lyrics. Of “Run Devil Run” he commented, “The reality is once you put yourself into so many fires, you either burn out or become the flame yourself, burning everything around you.”
“Go West” serves as a bright spot in an otherwise dark and haunting collection of music. Beginning and ending with a voiceover of the declaration, “I don’t care where it is or how far, I’ll go anywhere, as long as it’s with you,” HEMATITE creates a love song for those who feel lost. The melody is truly beautiful and the sentiment behind the lyrics mesh together perfectly.
The EP concludes with “Adios,” which was actually one of the first tracks Muise and Gaultier worked on together. Regarding the creation of “Adios,” Muise shares: “He [Andrew] sent over an older demo version and by the time I had vocals on it, he’d already had a sicker version in my inbox. To me, it’s where it all started, where the vibes hit me and I was taken into this new journey. I’m excited to see the feeling ‘Adios’ gives folks who listen.”
“Speak of the Devil” is now available to stream via your preferred platform. Follow them below and keep an eye out for upcoming tour dates.
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