Origin:	Rockford, Illinois, USA
Genres:
DISBANDED

Last update/review:	July 4, 2010

The Heavils

A strange little band was the Heavils, a band with an odd name (the name rhymes with "devils", though it could also have sounded good if it rhymed with "weevils") and an odd sound. Certainly an interesting signing for Metal Blade, a label more often associated with traditionally-minded death or power metal bands. As it turns out, their odd sound was partially due to their instruments, some (if not all) are not normal guitars but instead custom-made instruments apparently made from assorted household objects and junk. Given this, the sound of the Heavils was a bit hard to pin down, though an initial description might include the sort of very raw, punky, early grunge sound that bands like Mudhoney played in the early nineties. The Heavils were not a grunge band, as they are heavier and more diverse than that label entails, but that raw energy of those early grunge bands is quite evident here. The fretless homemade guitars (called "meanies" by the band) added to the grunge sound, as they produced a slighty dischordant sound that is quite cool, if a bit hard to get used to at first. There was quite a buzz surrounding the band back when their albums came out, but for whatever reason they were unable to capitalize on their early success and faded away.