Jake Edwards and Kid Piccolo make up the Nu-er Metal act Human I Was, a creatively poignant and conceptually provocative act, with equal parts ambient and intense layers of expression all devoted to a single story.
Broken Son (Like The Grave) is the latest single and video to emerge, an evocative and softly riffed arena of sounding, leading us into an impassioned outpouring of ideas and reflections. All the while, subtle strings and atmospheric fragments help add further character and distinct qualities to an already recognisable frontline riff.
Contrast is masterfully utilised by Human I Was, between the ambient warmth and the gritty vocals and distortion, and between instances of quiet calm and those that hit with more power and devastation. The track spans just less than three minutes in full, but creates a certain vastness or epic Nu-Metal aura in that timeframe, and the story and decidedly raw vocals undoubtedly leave you keen to relisten; in order to capture the true essence of the tale.
As a rule, the Human I Was sound holds close to these design-based intricacies and cinematic threads of expression. Children Of Tomorrow is an entirely different beast in itself, more ferocity and metal than the former track, but the chorus of voices, the darkness and story, the melodic appeal, as well as that use of contrast, all leans again towards an unmistakable band identity.
Things feel personal but relatable, and versatility is crucial within that. Consider the rapped verses and electronic sound-play of Defective, a stirring depth of warped sounds and synths, cleverly juxtaposed by the breathless hip hop outpouring from our protagonist. And still, skilfully, the band maintain their own creative voice – an experimental but well-rooted alternative metal sound, driven by storytelling and the desire for emotional outcry and relief.
These songs do exactly what they should, artistically screaming out on behalf of inner pain and uncertainty, whilst offering a welcomed twist of originality on the musical and performance side. Even the single No Other Way, a more mellow, almost trip-hop-metal offering, leads with that poetic darkness and personal lostness that is the essence of Human I Was.
An authentic act, writing and performing from a place of genuine need and therapeutic enjoyment. As such, the eclecticism and simultaneous sense of heart and struggle presented by these songs connects in a whole new way.
Find Human I Was on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & the Website.
