HUNTR – Live A Lie

This is not their newest one, but still one of my all-time favorites of Gilbere Forte, Boris Likharev and Nick Audy, better known as HUNTR. Because in my opinion this track shows best what they’re all about. So let’s start with “Live A Lie”, shall we.

I had a bad day recently. Real bad. One of these days where you know from start to finish that it was a bad idea to even get out of bed. And since music is always about emotion for me, I needed something to match my feelings when the day was over. And the guys of HUNTR just gave me that.
“Live A Lie” creates that dark, cold atmosphere which, along those ultra-intense vocals, makes you feel exactly what the Los Angeles based group wants you to experience. From the first seconds they manage to create a universe to feel rather than to just listen to, and they do that in all of their songs mostly with unique elements added, be it distortion along the vocals, reverbed wide-spaced environments, exotic drums, electro elements – you name it. For example, their newest release called “Am I” starts with an audio environment as if you were just heading into that small bar, expecting nothing, and then boom – you got the band up and front to deliver their message. But not along the usual drum-bass-guitar combo, but spiced up with even organ synths, uuhs and aahs, piano – all mixed up quite minimalistic but spot-on. I love when a track doesn’t rely on tons of single tracks merged into a fat pile of meaningless volume, but transmits the message loud and clear through the exact amount of elements necessary to do so. HUNTR follows the recipe of less-is-more, and it works perfectly, I think simply because they are living what they are doing on stage.  Their tracks seem to be refined during a process of trial and error, and they aren’t afraid of adding what they feel is good for the track, but I think at the same time they don’t give a damn if its mainstream to do so.  Their songs, their rules, right. It makes the music believable and real.

So, “Live a Lie” was the first track I ever heard of HUNTR, and it got me hooked with it’s raw, unfiltered energy and drive. This one picked me up from the ground that day, and once again, this is what music is all about for me – triggering emotions. It doesn’t matter if you want to smash your head on the table, if you want to kiss your girl or if you feel like running until the end of the world – if it makes the listener feel something, you hit the jackpot as a musician.
The guys of HUNTR are constantly reinventing their own style, leaving the listener in the black about what’s next, and I love it. The created curiosity keeps me coming back for more. And they are leaving their mark in the business out there, being present online on all major platforms, even on UFC soundtracks and countless playlists. I strongly recommend checking out their sources and also their videos, which additionally show that the stage is where those guys are at home, the studio is their kitchen, and the audience is part of their family.

HUNTR website
HUNTR on soundcloud
HUNTR on youtube
HUNTR on facebook
HUNTR on spotify

Florian Maier

Owner of kms reviews. Drummer. Sound explorer. Music enthusiast. Critic. Writer. Husband. Father. All stacked up in 1.88 m, 84 kg.
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