Hidden History

As we all know, music is ever-changing. What was once incredibly popular is done away with the next day to make room for something new. But for absolutely sure, there will always be room for good hard rock. Hidden History are showing to everyone that, even though at the moment they may be a small-time band from Seattle, they have all the makings of greatness that have marked so many of their influences before them.

If you have ever listened to Muse, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, or even Linkin Park and liked any of it, you will definitely like this album. The fat riffs are in there, mixed with some decent electronica work. The electro elements are not always particularly overt, but the way Hidden History sometimes mix them in with the rest of the music, as opposed to the intros to Callous Heart or Mirror where they show them off a bit more, is fairly sublime.
“MYSTERION IS A FANTASTIC ALBUM.”
— - STENCIL MAG
The vocals sound like a mix of One-X era Adam Gontier (ex-Three Days Grace) and the screamier side of Benjamin Burnley (Breaking Benjamin) circa 2006. The blend of melodic, soulful vocals when it suits the music, and the brief screaming moments when the tempo and aggression picks up is as close to perfect as you can really get.

On the whole, Mysterion is a fantastic album, one that any of the bands already mentioned here would have been proud to have made themselves."

- STENCIL MAGAZINE, UK - Stencil Magazine - Page 195

MYSTERION IS A BLISTERING COLLECTION OF FRESH HARDCORE TUNES, READY AND WAITING TO BURST YOUR EARDRUMS BEFORE KISSING THEM BETTER AGAIN.

Blending a number of influences that range from Thrice and Underoath, to Biffy Clyro and even offering flickers of the chopped up digital artefacts of early Linkin Park, it’s an album that delivers in spades. Opening track ‘Callous Heart’ sets things off in exactly the right way, with a darkness in its tone, and guitars that teeter on the edge of full metal tones but always stay reined in tightly like the unpredictable velociraptors from Jurassic World. Vocally, the album is rich in its depth, with vocals that move perfectly between sung and screamed, leaning towards Saosin at times, while the guitars splinter and shatter their way through the entire album, at moments touching on the raw aggression of Norma Jean. The sheer dynamic range of the record is to be commended, with ‘Cold of Apathy’ starting off sounding so distant and etherial, before exploding into a punchy sound that borrows from classic rock and roll sounds delivered in Hidden History’s own signature sound. At the mid point of 2015, this is an exciting release in the world of hardcore music. - Crossradar

"This Album is a must for anyone who is into bands like Thrice, Scary Kids Scaring Kids & Linkin Park. I have heard few albums where you can hear such dedication to each song, and this is one of those rare bands that actually gives 100% at all times. You can tell these guys have been growing together for 6 years, and they are clearly tuned to each other very well. I think you can really hear how hard they must have worked on this album if you listen to the whole thing from start to finish. It is in fact so good that it is worth talking about each song individually (and that’s very rare these days)!

The album starts with ‘Callous Heart’ and the intro alone will blow you away. It features an amazing build-up and it really rocks throughout, but also quietens down for the verses. The lyrics are very well sung and I am amazed at the high quality of this recording. This is mixed and mastered to perfection, and each instrument is not only played perfectly, it also has just the right volume to not distract too much from the vocals. It is also worth mentioning that this is only a three-piece band, so to sing this well and play guitar at the same time is quite hard to do.

The second track is called ‘Down’ and it is not too similar to the opening song, yet not too different for it to be a different genre. I definitely love the guitar riff in this track and the drum-work is outstanding. There are some fill-ins in there that unbelievable!

The third song has the title ‘Black & Blue’ and it is again quite a serious song, yet the overall message of this band is positive. I love the line ‘fight until you’re black & blue’. This song is a little calmer than the previous ones, which makes a nice change. The guitar is kept quite simple in this, but the bass totally makes up for that. The song also builds up to an amazing finale and I love the drumming at the end.

‘Mirror’ basically rocks from start to finish and is again a very serious song. I love the synthesizer in the verse of this and the vocals of singer & guitarist Danny Bullis are amazing in this track as well.

‘Stalemate’ features a Piano intro followed by an incredible bass solo, which is always great to hear. I also love the riff towards the end of this song. These guys really know how to rock. I have never heard the words ‘I am done with you’ in such a powerful way before.
“The album ends with the song ‘Goodbye’ and I love it when bands save the best for last. This is a perfect song to end the album with and it basically makes you want to listen to the whole thing all over again! ”
— TANBAY, ROCK PUBLICIST
The next track is called ‘Cold of Apathy’ and it features an amazing string intro, which almost sounds classical. Once the drums, guitar and bass kick in it starts to really rock again immediately and this band is very good at coming up with memorable riffs that just work really well with just one guitar.

The seventh song has the name ‘Paradise’ and this track features very positive lyrics, mixed with quite serious sounding guitar riffs. There are some amazing screams in this as well towards the end, which show just how versatile this band really is.

‘Hold On’ has a very sweet sounding intro with a clean guitar that builds up very nicely towards the chorus. This song is a little slower than the previous ones, but nevertheless still really rocks from start to finish and the drum work in this is again outstanding. It also features an incredible piano & bass solo towards the end.

The album ends with the song ‘Goodbye’ and I love it when bands save the best for last. This is a perfect song to end the album with and it basically makes you want to listen to the whole thing all over again!

This album is truly inspiring and I think a lot of people can relate to it, even though there is a mix of styles going on here. I think it is this mix that makes Hidden History stand out and that makes them memorable! For all those reasons this definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars!”

- TANBAY THEUNE, ROCK PUBLICIST (UK) - Tanbay Theune

We had a chat with talented rock band Hidden History, who unveiled some insights on their song-writing approach and on their exciting new material. The band set out to develop a driven, direct and personal sound that falls somewhere in between the gigantic stadium rock atmospheres of bands such as Linkin Park or Incubus, but with the authenticity and approach to melody of a indie band. Their songs are energetic and melodic in equal doses, achieving a diverse, yet compelling balance that makes for a truly great listening experience. The Seattle combo is always striving to become better and set the bar higher when it comes to their sound: learn more about this humble, hard-working band!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the music come first, or do you focus on the lyrics the most?

Answer:
It varies. As the vocalist, part of me walks through life kicking around lyrics in my head, trying to retain memorable thoughts that I think are good lyrics. Sometimes I find myself thinking about a concept that I believe would make good lyrics. I have a few on­going lists of lyrics that I keep handy (I have a list of notes on my phone, for example) that has random one­liners like “die a hero” or “volunteer slavery,” and other notes that have full­on lines and lines of random lyrics that I try to pen when I can’t actively write music. For me, it’s kind of similar to writing riffs on a guitar; you don’t know how or when you might use a certain riff but having it in your back pocket means that on the awesome occasion that it fits perfectly into a new song, you can just grab it. Sometimes I do start with music though. I like to write full­on instrumental tracks or map out an entire song with just an acoustic guitar. Then I’ll listen to it over and over for a few weeks and let the vibes of the song tell me what kind of lyrics they’re asking for. One thing’s for sure though, I don’t like to sing about arbitrary things, so even if the music does come first, I try not to skimp on the lyrics.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer:
Yeah we perform live. We spent so long (like 4 years) before we got out and started playing shows. Which is ridiculous by many standards and its a long story :]. At this point, we probably feel more comfortable off stage, but it didn’t take us long to feel perfectly within our element on stage. We really enjoy playing live and in many ways it brings us together a lot more than spending hours off stage does. You are very hard pressed to replicate the passion and energy of a live show in the studio and we feed off of that energy. We always walk out of a show feeling very fulfilled, so I’m sure that over the course of the next couple years, my answer would definitely change.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer:
I would personally say Down. Mostly because I think that song has the most energy and dynamics and showcases a wide variety of the different things we like to do and the direction that we’re heading. It’s also the shortest song on the album, so people are more apt to give it a shot than they would be if I went up to someone and asked them to sit through my 8 minute song :]. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people on the songs on our album and it’s not clear to us what the most popular song is; everyone seems to have their own favorite.

Which is really cool, reassuring, and validating so I’m really thankful that each song can bring something different to everyone.

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer:
I think it comes down to passion, ultimately. It takes the passion to recognize that making positive strides in the music industry means facing a lot of adversity, challenges, uncertainty, doubts and factors outside of your control. Having passion gives you the fire to want to push through all of that and all of the pain, heartache, frustration, and fear that comes with it. Having passion is what drives your attention to detail for your art and what enables you to let loose and generate something that is raw, powerful, meaningful and engaging. Having passion hones your attentiveness to the market, its booms and throes, and gives you the awareness to make creative and bold decisions about how to react to an ever­changing market. Having passion helps you stay relevant, because passion is a timelessly valued quality even though genres and styles change. Having passion gives you the discipline you need to get better at your own abilities and performance so that you’re equipped with the tools you’ll need to do something no one’s done before. Having passion gives you the determination to disprove the people saying it couldn’t be done.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer:
Yeah! We’re dropping our debut album ​Mysterion​on June 5, 2015. The album is the result of over 6 years of writing, re­re­re­re­recording, and a lot of random difficulties. It feels a bit like a frankenstein album, like taking the wheels of a ‘57 chevy, the fender of an ‘83 buick, the body of a ‘71 Grand Prix, and the engine of a 2008 Escalade and somehow making a vehicle that is hopefully going to get us from point A to point B over the next year. But at least it’s got a killer paint job and a badass sound system :].

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:
Our facebook page is sort of the hub of our communication to the outside world. We’ll have a bunch of stuff available on our website as well. We’ll have the entire album up for free on soundcloud and eventually youtube. It’ll also be available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, etc. facebook: facebook.com/hiddenhistorymusic
web: hiddenhistorymusic.com
youtube: youtube.com/hiddenhistorymusic
soundcloud: soundcloud.com/hiddenhistory
itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mysterion/id993310456 - Tilting Windmills Independent Spotlight by Brett Stewart

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome, to 75 Bands in 75 Days, where we’re showcasing some of the best talent that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, at least one band per day, leading up to December 31st, to ring in a new year. This list is in no particular order and it is not a chart or a countdown. It’s merely a list of bands or musicians that we feel are worthy of checking out. The band for Day 41 is Hidden History from Seattle.

Hidden History blends alt-metal guitar riffs with electronic and orchestral elements, energetic bass lines with powerful drum rhythms, and strong lead vocals to forge a dynamically unique sound. The band’s various influences include Muse, Red, Thrice, Chevelle, Linkin Park, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Saosin, and Incubus. 2014 highlights include headlining the summer’s biggest rock festival at one of the most popular Seattle venues (The Flame Fest @ El Corazon), supporting local charities and benefits including Rock Out for ALS (ROALS) and the Benefit for Oso Fire Department and Slide Victims’ Families as well as providing local support for several touring bands such as Girl on Fire, Dennis is Dead, and Hotelier.

HH evolved into the band it is today through the perseverance of Danny Bullis (Guitar, Lead Vox) and Joel Burgess (Bass, Backing Vox) who kept the fire alive after previous band members left the band in the fall of 2010. Tyler Messer (Drums) joined HH in 2011 to complete the rhythm section, and, in 2013, Jay Brescia (Artist Manager) enlisted to help take the band to the next level and beyond. In 2014, HH partnered with Bryan Lash (Producer) and Pavel Fateev (Engineer) to record and produce their first full-length LP, Mysterion, which is nearing completion. HH is on a mission to impact others through their music and break new ground in the Alternative Rock genre. - Northwest Music Scene

We had a chat with talented rock band Hidden History, who unveiled some insights on their song-writing approach and on their exciting new material. The band set out to develop a driven, direct and personal sound that falls somewhere in between the gigantic stadium rock atmospheres of bands such as Linkin Park or Incubus, but with the authenticity and approach to melody of a indie band. Their songs are energetic and melodic in equal doses, achieving a diverse, yet compelling balance that makes for a truly great listening experience. The Seattle combo is always striving to become better and set the bar higher when it comes to their sound: learn more about this humble, hard-working band!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the music come first, or do you focus on the lyrics the most?

Answer:
It varies. As the vocalist, part of me walks through life kicking around lyrics in my head, trying to retain memorable thoughts that I think are good lyrics. Sometimes I find myself thinking about a concept that I believe would make good lyrics. I have a few on­going lists of lyrics that I keep handy (I have a list of notes on my phone, for example) that has random one­liners like “die a hero” or “volunteer slavery,” and other notes that have full­on lines and lines of random lyrics that I try to pen when I can’t actively write music. For me, it’s kind of similar to writing riffs on a guitar; you don’t know how or when you might use a certain riff but having it in your back pocket means that on the awesome occasion that it fits perfectly into a new song, you can just grab it. Sometimes I do start with music though. I like to write full­on instrumental tracks or map out an entire song with just an acoustic guitar. Then I’ll listen to it over and over for a few weeks and let the vibes of the song tell me what kind of lyrics they’re asking for. One thing’s for sure though, I don’t like to sing about arbitrary things, so even if the music does come first, I try not to skimp on the lyrics.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer:
Yeah we perform live. We spent so long (like 4 years) before we got out and started playing shows. Which is ridiculous by many standards and its a long story :]. At this point, we probably feel more comfortable off stage, but it didn’t take us long to feel perfectly within our element on stage. We really enjoy playing live and in many ways it brings us together a lot more than spending hours off stage does. You are very hard pressed to replicate the passion and energy of a live show in the studio and we feed off of that energy. We always walk out of a show feeling very fulfilled, so I’m sure that over the course of the next couple years, my answer would definitely change.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer:
I would personally say Down. Mostly because I think that song has the most energy and dynamics and showcases a wide variety of the different things we like to do and the direction that we’re heading. It’s also the shortest song on the album, so people are more apt to give it a shot than they would be if I went up to someone and asked them to sit through my 8 minute song :]. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people on the songs on our album and it’s not clear to us what the most popular song is; everyone seems to have their own favorite.

Which is really cool, reassuring, and validating so I’m really thankful that each song can bring something different to everyone.

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer:
I think it comes down to passion, ultimately. It takes the passion to recognize that making positive strides in the music industry means facing a lot of adversity, challenges, uncertainty, doubts and factors outside of your control. Having passion gives you the fire to want to push through all of that and all of the pain, heartache, frustration, and fear that comes with it. Having passion is what drives your attention to detail for your art and what enables you to let loose and generate something that is raw, powerful, meaningful and engaging. Having passion hones your attentiveness to the market, its booms and throes, and gives you the awareness to make creative and bold decisions about how to react to an ever­changing market. Having passion helps you stay relevant, because passion is a timelessly valued quality even though genres and styles change. Having passion gives you the discipline you need to get better at your own abilities and performance so that you’re equipped with the tools you’ll need to do something no one’s done before. Having passion gives you the determination to disprove the people saying it couldn’t be done.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer:
Yeah! We’re dropping our debut album ​Mysterion​on June 5, 2015. The album is the result of over 6 years of writing, re­re­re­re­recording, and a lot of random difficulties. It feels a bit like a frankenstein album, like taking the wheels of a ‘57 chevy, the fender of an ‘83 buick, the body of a ‘71 Grand Prix, and the engine of a 2008 Escalade and somehow making a vehicle that is hopefully going to get us from point A to point B over the next year. But at least it’s got a killer paint job and a badass sound system :].

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:
Our facebook page is sort of the hub of our communication to the outside world. We’ll have a bunch of stuff available on our website as well. We’ll have the entire album up for free on soundcloud and eventually youtube. It’ll also be available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, etc. facebook: facebook.com/hiddenhistorymusic
web: hiddenhistorymusic.com
youtube: youtube.com/hiddenhistorymusic
soundcloud: soundcloud.com/hiddenhistory
itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mysterion/id993310456 - Peter Vidani