Hit ‘n’ Mizz is an Australian Band based in Brisbane that is self-described as being 80s rock with a punk attitude. This year they’ve released their debut EP Action after having formed in 2018.
We start out with the song Devils gonna bring you down. It’s a song that has a gritty rock tone to it with a bit of a country vibe to it as well. The drums are nice a slow during the verses but also with plenty of fat before speeding up in the chorus and using the cymbals to sharpen the sound up.
The guitars create the gritty tone of the song, as they are methodical and grungy but with a country twang as well. The song sounds perfect for a vampire show set in the south and that very much is a compliment.
We move onto something a bit more upbeat next with Patronize, it’s quite a groovy song and will have you bopping you’re head to it. Again the drums are really nice and full in the mix, giving the song a nice kick. The song may not do anything too special lyrically or instrumentally but if played live, I would be singing along to it.
Insane is up next and this one starts out slow, with a simple and slow bass line followed by melancholic guitars. The song picks up in the chorus with a sweep of heavy drums and guitars that match the lyrics of the song as well as lead singer Mizzie Maxx sings about going insane.
Want Me? Starts with a broody bass line that sets a grungy tone for the song, it’s joined in the verses by a colorful guitar that has more of an indie-rock tone but works great for the song as it builds up to the more energetic chorus for the grungier guitars to come in. The end of the song has a nice mix of all the instruments playing together with the bass coming back into the limelight and the drums laying done a groovy rhythm.
My God does give me the bass that I want though as the funky bassline is the main driver for the song. It keeps things simple instrumentally letting the bass and singing do most of the work, with other instruments coming in for the chorus. It sounds great, especially the backing vocals behind Mizzie’s singing in the chorus that add a nice amount of texture to the song.
The Titular track Action is last, we’re back to a more gritty sound with this one as the bass is thick, the drums are loud and the guitar riff is nice and catchy. When the chorus kicks in the guitars make more use of wah and distortion, for some nice sounding riffs. A nice kick-ass end to the album.
For a first outing, I think the band did a great job, Mizzie’s vocals fit perfectly for the genre of music and convey a good amount of emotion able to get the grungy vocals but also sing some more slow and Gothic pieces. She also plays guitar alongside Misha, both of whom do a great job nailing grungy sounds but are also capable of being flexible with their tones to create more dynamic riffs. Former member Slije was on Bass for the album and I really liked his playing, it was great to hear it in the mix as it provided a good layer of thickness to the songs.
Shep on the drums had some really tight playing and did well at making them really have a nice impact in the songs.
The EP did a good job showing what the band is good at, my one complaint would be it does sound like other rock bands I’ve heard before but there were moments of creative songwriting. I liked the way that other genres like country or Gothic were incorporated and I hope they continue experimenting down the road.
Alestorm: Facebook
Release Year: 2021
Label: self-released
Category: EP
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Billy Poulopoulos
