Guest 7-Inch Corner: Matt Farro From Bright Light Fever On His Hero Is Gone

Guest 7-Inch Corner! Woo-hoo! For this column, our friend Matt Farro of Bright Light Fever talks about D-beat legends His Hero Is Gone and their “The Dead Of Night In Eight Movements” 7-inch, released by Prank Records in 1996. Onward my friends.

Band: His Hero Is Gone
Title: The Dead of Night in Eight Movements
By Matt Farro

There used to be a record store in Sacramento, CA called Hindenburg Records and that’s where I first got this 7-inch. It was like walking into someone’s house, and they had everything a sweet (angry/evil) young boy like me could want. It felt like it was run by total elitists, and it probably was. I don’t remember anyone saying anything to me any of the times I went there. I never saw it packed with people, but I think they used to do shows there too.

I went to see His Hero Is Gone at Gilman Street before I bought this record, and for that point in time, they were the perfect band for me. It felt like they were my secret, and I had to run out and buy whatever I could find of theirs.

Read more after the jump.

“The Dead of Night in Either Movements” is so immediate and brutal, and on top of that, intelligent and musically creative. I remember writing lyrics from one of the tracks: “We slip our tongues, we slit our throats, we hang our heads from ropes” on my buddy Jesse’s skateboard in sharpie. We were so fucking punk motherfucker. I think we went and huffed propane and watched Hellraiser on VHS promptly after that.

The first time I put on their full length 15 Counts of Arson, it was at a friend’s house. I was trying to dub it to cassette so I could take it home with me and I recorded it at the wrong, slower RPM. It still fucking ruled. It almost made it sound even more pissed off and evil.

“How do they do it? How do they play this slow and keep it together? His voice is so low!”
I was just young and eager and stupid. I wish I could get that excited about an album today. I’m more excited for Resident Evil 5 then I am for most of the records that are slated to be released this year.

HHIG might get more credit/attention then a lot of bands that have come and gone, but I still feel like they are one of the most underrated heavy bands of this generation. I feel very lucky that I got to see them more then once.