Seventh Heaven: Ashley ‘Hellview’ Hamilton

Seventh Heaven: Ashley ‘Hellview’ Hamilton

Back in 1977, NASA sent a probe into deep space laden with earthly goods. One such object was a golden record, containing some of the best music created by human beings: J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chuck Berry. All in the hope that, should life exist beyond our spacial borders, anyone that came into contact with the probe would be prepared for homo-sapien culture. 

But what if we got to choose which albums went into space?  

Seventh Heaven is a feature in which musicians and influencers pick their seven favourite albums and send them out into the heavens in the hope of spreading peace and good vibes throughout the galaxy. 

Writing for this edition of Seventh Heaven is Ashley 'Hellview' Hamilton of ZOOL Records - 

#1. The Antlers | Hospice

I have been listening to this album for years now, and it still absolutely shatters my heart every time I hear it. It is a concept album about a male nurse who falls in love with a terminally ill cancer patient he is caring for, and their subsequent journey through life until her inevitable death. The stripped back production combines with occasional flurries of synth/electronic elements, which provide peaks and troughs of sheer bliss. Listen to this in its entirety from start to finish to render best results (read as: heartbreak).

#2. Avenged Sevenfold | City of Evil

Ah, Limewire. Those were the days. I spent a solid week scouring through Limewire until I had every track off City of Evil downloaded and transferred onto my MP3 player. It was worth it. This album was not my introduction to the band but was definitely the one that made me fall in love with them. In particular, drummer, Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, made a lasting impact on me. I simply had never heard drums been played like that and to this day he continues to sit atop a hefty list of my favourite drummers. This album is such a journey with such varied themes and vibes throughout. It's songwriting and musicianship at its finest, with each member of the band absolutely outdoing themselves to produce one of the finest metal albums of all time in my opinion. This band is one of the most divisive I have ever encountered, people either seem to love them or hate them. I think it’s clear where I stand. (Side note: still the only band that has had me in tears live).

#3. CKY | Vol. 1

This album is particularly special to me, as it was the soundtrack of my childhood thanks to Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3. I turned literally every song that wasn’t ’96 Quite Bitter Beings’ off on that game, and I spent an ungodly amount of hours playing it. This album was one of the first I ever owned on CD. When combined with the misbehaving and mishaps of the CKY/Jackass videos, it led to most poor decisions I made as a teen. I recently got the chance to meet and support CKY at a gig in the Limelight Belfast, which was a genuinely bizarre but life-affirming experience. Listen to this if you wanna smash stuff efficiently.

#4. Mojo Fury | Visiting Hours of a Travelling Circus 

Mojo Fury is absolutely one of the best bands to ever come out of our little island. I have had the absolute pleasure of knowing about them since I was a teenager, as they used to practice under a youth club I used to attend in Lisburn. The band has evolved over the years and added new faces, but these songs are an ever-present in my life. This album combines slapping hard rock with melodic choruses and sing-along moments beautifully, and Electric Sea remains one of the most stunning songs I have ever heard.

#5. NIN | The Fragile

This entire album is filled with so much tension, it is absolutely brutal. Trent engaged in excess when he created this masterpiece of an album that runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes. 36 songs. Not one of them worth skipping in my opinion. Sit down with 2 and a half hours on your side, play this from start to finish and let Trent take you down into the rabbit hole that is his mind. Somewhat Damaged might be my favourite opening song of any album ever. I have been fortunate to see NIN live twice in my life, most recently in Madrid in the summer of 2018,  they opened the set with this song and it was an incredible moment.

#6. Pile | A Hairshirt of Purpose

Pile are my most recent find in this list, as I only discovered them early in 2018, but my god have they had a serious impact. Combining incredible guitar melodies with a vocal delivery that hovers between haunting, spooky and depressing, the music Pile create is simply some of the most beautiful and inspirational I have ever heard. I have probably bombarded anyone who has been inside the ZOOL warehouse in the past year with Pile but if you wish to be enlightened, go and watch their entire Audiotree Live session on YouTube. It’s worth it.

#7. Single Mothers | Negative Qualities

Last but definitely not least we have Single Mothers barnstormer ‘Negative Qualities’. This album is an absolute monster from start to finish. A sullen Drew Thomson drags us kicking and screaming through his mind and thoughts. He weaponises bile, sarcasm and a sense of self-awareness in a way that, for me, is unmatched by any other frontman. This is particularly true on this album. He takes aim at himself and those close to him, referencing their inabilities to change and commit to being better people. This album has gotten me through the worst of times and helped me celebrate the absolute best. I recently travelled to Manchester to see Single Mothers play an incredible set in support of Drug Church, and I managed to meet Drew in the venue beforehand, something I’ll genuinely never forget.