Hed(pe) - New World Orphans

Genre metalcore Publisher Suburban Noize Recordings

Is it too early to be nostalgic for 1999? 

Man, that was a heady time. Rap metal was at it’s apex - Limp Bizkit dominated the airwaves with tracks off of Significant Other, while other bands like KoRn made it cool to growl into a microphone and make it a hit single.

Then, there was Hed(pe). 

The Huntington Beach, California rock band skated by as on of the B-list rap-rock acts, finding marginal success with singles such as “Bartender” off of their 2000 album, Broke. Since then, they haven’t done anything that anyone remembers. Their new album, New World Orphans, certainly won’t make the slightest blip on anyone’s radar, outside of the group’s die-hard fans. 

“New World Intro” starts off the record, which is a sound clip that sounds like a politician speaking about the mishandling of the government. Although it’s probably very important in a different context, it doesn’t do anything to compel the listener to seek out the rest of the material on Hed(pe)’s album. 

“Live or Die Free” cleverly kicks off with the familiar “You’ve Got Mail!” sound bite from AOL before launching into an auditory assault of detuned guitars and mile-a-minute rapping. The lyrics “American made/the terror displayed/the false flags that waive/Be afraid - be very afraid” seems topical, but it’s a few years too late. Especially with the feeling of “change” brought to America after last year’s election, it seems that vocalist Jahred Shane is grasping at straws. 

“Bloodfire”, which follows “Live or Die Free” apes System of a Down styled guitars, before the chorus launches into a scorching chorus of the song’s title. It’s hackneyed, and not easy to listen to more than once. 

You can’t fault Hed(pe) wanting to be topical. The way they do this is taking another TV sound bite talking about the Mortgage Crisis and make it the not-so-cleverly titled “Mortgage Crisis Intro”, which leads into the straight-up punk jam “Middle Class Blues”. It’s a less-than-two minute blast that feels the least forced of anything on the record. However, the “Stop F**king With Me!” refrain is really not necessary. 

Hed(pe) even delves into novelty tracks with “Higher Ground”, featuring stoner-rappers the Kottomouth Kings. It’s easy to assume it would be a Stevie Wonder-by-way-of Red Hot Chili Peppers cover, but not so. Instead, it’s a groove laden, party vocal advising “You Better Light that Shit Up!”. It’s probably the funniest song about smoking weed since Afroman did it with “Because I Got High” in 2001. 
 
The band’s newest record doesn’t skimp on the material by any means - combined with bonus and demos packaged on the disc, it stretches on for twenty oddly-long tracks, of which sixteen use the aforementioned sound clip intros. It’s hasty and unoriginal.

What’s sad about Hed(pe) is that after all these years, they still take themselves seriously, despite that they have very small audience who follows their music. There’s smart moments on this record - especially the more punk rock leaning moments. Perhaps they should shift their style to a less cluttered, more basic sound. Regardless, not many people are going to care. It would be unfair to knock this band too much - it’s just very clear they don’t ‘get it’.

Remember listened to any of Poison’s records after their 80’s heyday, either. Why? They lost the plot. The same happened to Hed(pe). Why should anyone care? 

Maybe they’ll get their own Rock of Love show in ten years or so, too.