From Bandcamp, “HILLTOPS ARE FOR DREAMERS (HAFD) is an ambitious project that took shape and form in London around 2018, being though UK and Greece based. They blend black metal with acoustic blues melodies, while flirting with progressive structures and heavy riffing, exploring electronic and cinematic paths, but often visiting their post-hardcore roots.” Curiously, the album (EP?) has only three songs.

“Halo Above” is first. It has a good dose of melodies, although they are a bit somber, but the riff is simple, and the mid-tempo pacing keeps it grounded. I really don’t hear any black metal elements here, but there are some progressive ones. They add just a few harsh vocals into the mix, but the clean vocal harmonies are the main attraction. “The First Day of Winter” has more of those cinematic qualities that they talked about, but again, the riffs are just too simple and they don’t challenge the music as well as they could. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are probably the best part.

“The Oath” is the final song. It has more energy, and a bit of a harder edge, intermixed within the melodic vocals.  Even being able to put together a three-song EP tells a lot about the band’s perseverance in the record industry, which to quote Gene Simmons,” is chaos. It wasn’t bad per se, it just failed to excite me as a listener. The vocal harmonies were probably the best part of the album, and the band has a strong sense of musicianship. The album just fell a bit flat.