Almost four years since the release of their debut offering, bare knuckle rock ‘n’ roll band Hellcats is back with a brand new album, entitled End Of Days. Dirty, filthy and without inhibition – the album comes after the release of the single “Sugar” (in 2022).
The rock duo’s debut album, The Hex and the Healer was released in 2019 and gained them nationwide recognition with two South African Music Awards (SAMA) nominations, as well as a #3 spot on the SA iTunes Album Charts on release day.
Music from the album was also included in global rock playlists across Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer. Hellcats also had the privilege of opening for international giants The Cure and Incubus on their SA tours, as well as for Australian duo DZ Deathrays, and Seether on both of their tours.
With their raucous sound, the band is proud to present End Of Days; an album which took around two years to be written and produced in its entirety. Sticking to their winning formula, Craig Hawkins from Audio Militia was, just like with their debut offering, again at the helm of production for the new album.
Craig built a state of the art studio in the basement of his house and equipped it with the best analogue and digital equipment that beautifully captured Hellcats’ huge sound.
The result: An album which consistently manages to capture the raw, no holds barred sound of Hellcats while at the same time staying true to the essence of their sound as a two piece; nothing is done in studio that can not be replicated on stage and the sound on End Of Days is mammoth.
With the world entering a pandemic in 2020, ‘dark days’ was definitely the inspiration for the album. The band started writing most of their new songs while knee deep in the throws of lockdown.
Guitarist Warwick Rautenbach comments on the album
“They say the best music is inspired by heavy times – and this was true for this body of music. The songs just kept coming and in fact – before we went into studio we had a bank of around 40. These songs were our therapy and each one reflects a different emotion over the last couple years. God knows there were plenty – the good, the bad and the ugly. But it got us through those times; music saved our lives once again for the billionth time.”
Even though it was tough to get into a room and write music together during these times, the duo kept writing and kept doing what they love and kept making music. They describe the release of End Of Days as a growing pain – a release of the past by dusting the dirt off their shoulders, ready to return the favour for the kick in the pants over the last few years.
For the first time Hellcats took their time crafting their music and allowed new styles, influences and genres to infiltrate their creative process. Their new music reflects something new and unexpected, whilst staying true to their loud, offensive to the ears, signature sound.
While Hellcats’ music tend to revolve around their past and current relationships – varying between past lovers, current partners, theirselves and even emotionally connected relationships with issues that are important to them – End Of Days also marks the end of what has been an extended, reckless youth for the duo.
They have both grown up and re-assessed what’s important to them as individuals and as musicians. So while the name, End Of Days seems a little macabre, it is more about leaving the past in the past and being reborn to whatever comes next.
Hellcats comment on the album
“There is a definite undercurrent of rebirth running through the concept of the album. End Of Days means multiple things to us – the end of a really heavy time that the world has just been through, and the end of rock ’n roll – at least as we know it from our experience as a band.”
“The musical landscape in SA has changed so much (for better or for worse), that rock has become more of an underdog than it has ever been. And how poetically beautiful and inspiring is that? Rock is just where it has always been – in the dirt and the rubble, just how we like it.”
“We are proud of the fact that we’ve managed to take the music into a bit of a different direction – because if it ain’t broke, break it! But we have stuck to who we are as a band; two people in a beautiful love affair with loud, bare knuckle rock ’n’ roll. And we can’t wait to take fans on this ride with us.”
“It’s Loud, It’s Offensive. It’s Rough meets Smooth. It’s Dirty with a couple of clean spots.”
You can download / stream End Of Days HERE.
I had a quick chat to Warwick Rautenbach about the album, this is what he had to say
Congratulations on the new album, End Of Days! Now Hellcats‘ sound has always been described as dirty, filthy and without inhibition – can fans look forward to a continuation of this type of rock ‘n’ roll on the new album?
Tell us a bit about the recording experience of the new album – how did it differ from your first album, what did you do differently on this one?
“Like I say we really poured some love and time into everything we recorded. But I think the process was vastly different. We started writing most of the End Of Days songs while knee deep in the throws of Covid Lockdown. So these songs we created got us through those dark days – and as it’s always been the case for us since our ears could listen – music saved our asses once again, for the billionth time.”
“It was also tough to actually get into a room and write the music together so we basically wrote this thing together over What’sApp – sending voice notes, music and ideas back and forth – so by the time we got into studio we had lots of amo in our arsenal – we just had to learn how to play music together again – but that ol’ chestnut was sorted from the second we pounded our instruments in the same room as each other.”
“We also recorded in a different environment. Craig Hawkins from Audio Militia, produced End Of Days – Craig is a long time friend hero of Hellcats, and also produced Hellcats’ 1st full length album “The Hex &The Healer. He is honestly the third member of the band and is the machine behind the massive Hellcats album sound.”
“For End Of Days – Craig casually built a state of the art studio in the basement of his house and equipped it with the best analogue and digital equipment that beautifully captured Hellcats’ huge sound.”
“We lived in Craig’s home for extended periods and had access to the studio whenever inspiration struck – We hung out, made music, braai’d, laughed, drank way too much beer and whiskey, and we made more music – and kept doing that until we had the 9 tracks down – making it our most memorable and creative endeavour to date as a band.”
You describe the theme of ‘rebirth’ running throughout the album. How do you see the new album as a rebirth of your music, and also as yourselves as musicians?
“There is a definite undercurrent of rebirth running through the concept of the album. End Of Days means multiple things to us – the end of a really heavy time that the world has just been through – the end of rock &roll, at least as we know it from our experience as a band.”
“The musical landscape in SA has changed so much (for better or for worse), that rock has become more of an underdog than it’s ever been – and how poetically beautiful and inspiring is that? – Rock is just where it’s always been – in the dirt and the rubble – just how we like it.”
You mention rock is just where it has always been – in the dirt and the rubble. Yet this does not hold Hellcats back to continue to create the raucous rock ‘n’ roll music you perform as a duo. What can fans expect from the rest of 2023 from Hellcats in terms of music and live performances?
“We’ve made this album, it might be our best, who the fuck knows/cares -we love it. And we thought End Of Days would be a good mic drop for what’s to come. Not to be all dramatic or anything but these 6 shows will be the last shows Hellcats will be slinging our dirty rock n roll IRL in a long while.”
“My wife and I are bringing life into the world and Hellcats are taking a lil’ break from playing live at the end of these shows- for a while -not forever, but for a while- so that I can go be Pappa Rauts. Unless Queens of the fucking Stone Age come to SA and need an opener or Glastonbury asks us to headline on the pyramid stage ;)”
“That being said we are going to fuck these 6 venues up in their entirety with our End Of Days album launch tour, before we bow out for a while and leave you all with some music thats very close to our dark hearts.”
I would like to thank Warwick for this interview and I wish him and Hellcats the best with their future musical endeavors.
Make sure that you catch Hellcats live at one of these events / venues for their End Of Days Album Tour
- 17 February 2023 – – With Jacques Moolman, The Klubs and Shongolo
- 24 February 2023 – The Irish Pub, Linden, Johannesburg – With The Tazers
- 26 February 2023 – Park Acoustics, Pretoria – With Fokofpolisiekar, The Tazers, Shameless and more.
- 3 March 2023 – – With Fokofpolisiekar
- 9 March 2023 – – With Tough Guy and Metro Villa
- 11 March 2023 – Aandklas, Stellenbosch – With Retro Dizzy and Miskitos
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