By Ian Lockwood
Arts Editor
During a time of political savagery, artists respond with deep-seated works of art and music. Rock singer Hanni El Khatib returns with his new album, “Savage Times.”
The album is a collection of well balanced punk songs that include the classic components and influences of 60s and 70s rock music, all the while containing a deeper expression of feelings about current issues across the globe.
Photos: Vintage punk rock artist, Hanni El Khatib, released his newest album, “Savage Times”.
Hanni El Khatib is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from San Francisco who is known for his skate punk and vintage rock tone. He is also the co-founder of Los Angeles based indie record label, Innovative Leisure. Khatib is well known for his debut release “Will The Guns Come Out” and for his more recent release “Moonlight.”
Link: Check out Khatib’s new album, “Savage Times”.
“Savage Times” is Khatib’s fourth studio album. Unique to his previous works, he decided to release the album through a series of periodically released EPs. Khatib produced the album in its entirety by himself.
Staying true to his roots, Khatib maintains his classic surf punk tone on most tracks throughout the album. The heavy use of raspy vocals and distorted power-chord guitar progressions build the base of his tracks. Sticking to the classic roots that won fans’ respect for his previous works makes the album an enjoyable listen for old fans and new audiences alike.
Although Khatib primarily sticks to his usual surf punk sound, he introduces an exciting new tone on the track, “Paralyzed.” The song is reminiscent of classic rock bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones due to the mix of harmonized vocals and reverberated guitar tones, offering a familiar and enjoyable sound for music fans around the world.
Unlike his past releases, Khatib added political commentary on events like President Trump’s executive order to ban certain immigrants from entering the United States. Khatib’s expression of his own thoughts on relevant issues offers listeners a more personal and relatable atmosphere to the album as a whole.
Link: If interested in seeing Khatib live, tour dates are on his website.
Vintage punk rocker Hanni El Khatib ultimately shows major improvement on his new album, “Savage Times,” with the inclusion of commentary on controversial political issues and his maintaining of the old-school punk tone that he is known for.
Hanni El Khatib’s new album “Savage Times” was released on February 17, and is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple music, and is also available for purchase on iTunes.
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