High Walls Free Falls by Half Shot: A Riff-Fueled Joyride Through Irish Rock
If you’re a fan of headbanging riffs, gritty vocals, and that classic rock vibe with a heavy metal twist, High Walls Free Falls by Half Shot is the kind of album that’ll make your speakers sweat. Released in 2010 from the Emerald Isle (Ireland, for those who flunked geography), this record doesn’t try too hard to be cool—it just is. And honestly? That’s what makes it so damn good.
Half Shot comes out swinging with tracks like “You See” and “Headwrecker,” which are basically two sides of the same badass coin. “You See” kicks things off with a riff sharp enough to cut glass, courtesy of Leo Devine on guitar and Stephen Devine shredding lead duties like his life depends on it. It’s one of those songs where you find yourself nodding along before realizing you’ve been air-guitaring furiously for three minutes straight. The lyrics hit hard without being overly complicated—a nice mix of introspection and rebellion that feels raw but relatable.
Then there’s “Headwrecker,” which sounds exactly like its title suggests. This track slams into your eardrums like a freight train driven by someone who skipped caffeine and went straight for the whiskey instead. Luke Gleeson’s drumming here deserves special mention because holy cow—he’s not just keeping time; he’s setting fires. By the second chorus, I was convinced my neighbors thought I was hosting an underground rock concert. Spoiler alert: they weren’t wrong.
What really ties this whole thing together is how tight the band sounds. Ben O’Brien lays down some seriously groovy basslines, while Mik O’Connell nails both engineering and recording duties, giving the album a punchy yet polished finish. Oh, and let’s not forget Jon Astley mastering this beast—because when your job involves making chaos sound cohesive, props to you, mate.
The rest of the tracks keep the energy high, though a few lean more toward classic rock vibes than full-on metal fury. Songs like “This Town” and “Preachin’” show off the band’s knack for storytelling through music, even if their accents might leave non-Irish listeners scrambling for Google Translate at times. Minor gripe? Some transitions between tracks feel a bit abrupt—but hey, maybe that’s just part of the charm.
By the time you reach “Last On The List,” you’ll either be reaching for another beer or contemplating life choices. Either way, mission accomplished.
So yeah, High Walls Free Falls isn’t perfect—but perfection would ruin the fun anyway. This album reminds me why rock ‘n’ roll will never die: it’s messy, loud, and unapologetically human. If you listen closely, you can almost hear Ireland itself whispering through every chord and crash. Or maybe that’s just the Guinness talking.
Final verdict? Give this one a spin if you want something real. Just don’t blame me if your cat starts hiding under the couch every time you play it.
Rating: 8/10 – Because no album should ever get a perfect score. Perfection’s boring.
