GOOD MORNING WORSTIES, IT’S ERIC FROM HEART ATTACK MAN. Just kidding, it’s The Honey POP. Speaking of Heart Attack Man though, they just dropped their highly anticipated album Freak of Nature and we are so unbelievably excited to talk about it. If you don’t know who Heart Attack Man is, they’re one of the best bands on the scene currently, and one of the best bands on Twitter. Lead singer Eric Egan always makes Hammy Twitter a great place to be, albeit a chaotic neutral one. It’s one of the things we love the most about this band tbh.
Ever since the title track ‘Freak of Nature’ dropped as a single, we knew this album was going to be amazing. Heart Attack Man just keeps getting better and better, with Freak of Nature following Thoughts & Prayerz, the band’s 2021 release which was also a no-skip album in our opinion. With this release we got a behind-the-scenes look into making the album with Rigged The Room, the album documentary you can watch right here.^
With regards to the album, this is what Eric had to say:
“The overarching theme is growing up,” … “I spent my entire twenties just feeling completely out of place. It was like I hadn’t found my people yet. In early adulthood, I went through a lot of shit mentally. With Freak Of Nature, I’m embracing the fact I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but it’s okay.”
Eric Egan via press release
Heart Attack Man has never shied away from diving into darker themes and heavier topics in their music. Look at songs like ‘Out For Blood,’ ‘Cool 2 Me,’ or ‘Old Enough 2 Die’ and you’ll see what we mean. Freak of Nature, produced by lil aaron, definitely dives into some heavier themes, framing them in a way that only Heart Attack Man can do, that’ll make you pause and really listen to what they’re saying. We love that they’re able to do that with their music and part of why we love them so much. If that kind of music isn’t for you, that’s fine, but we really recommend taking a listen and seeing what Hammy has to offer.
It would be a crime of us to hype up Freak of Nature like this without sharing some highlights from the album, so here’s a list of some of our favorite tracks!
‘C4’
First and foremost, we would just like to say that the transition from ‘God Called Off Today’ into ‘C4’ is SO CLEAN. The theme of not knowing what you’re doing and the mental struggles that come with growing up and having to figure it all out are highlighted by the “violent and void of emotion I’m not afraid to go up in flames in a moment’s notice” line on this track. Yes, it follows from “I’ve rigged the room with explosives” but you get the metaphor. In our opinion, this is one of the best songs on the record, with a drum beat you’ll feel in your chest from the moment it starts. It’s pop-punk in the best way and we’ve had it on repeat from the first listen.
‘Late To The O*gy’
This track is another favorite of ours because of the wordplay in the lyrics. It’s one of those songs that you might laugh about at first because of the title, or think that it’s not as deep as it is, but if you really look at the lyrics you’ll find that that simply isn’t the case. Heart Attack Man has a knack for slipping those double-take lyrics and themes into their music, which is why they’re so good at what they do.
Nobody likes you and everyone’s pissed
I’m always feeling like I just stepped in sh*t
Everybody’s watching, but nobody cares
The music’s gonna stop and I don’t have a chair (Chair)
Everyone got a seat, they’re pointing and laughing
They got what they wanted, and I got my a** beat
I feel like I only know half of the story
Everybody came and I’m late to the o*gy
Two distinct verses in the song, different imagery, same idea. ‘Late to the O*gy’ captures that “what the hell am I doing how did I fall so far behind” feeling that a lot of us may relate to. Being a teenager is hard, being in your 20s is hard, growing up is hard, and for those of us that feel like we missed the mark somewhere and feel behind, this track feels like an anthem. It ends with “Am I by myself? Or is everyone else asking the same g*ddamn questions?” and that really ties the narrative of this song up perfectly.
‘See You On The Other Side’
This is a personal one for Eric, who said on Twitter that he wrote it when he lost his dog. Whether you lost a beloved pet, family member, friend, or really anyone that you care about, this song really hits home. The third verse caused us the most emotional damage personally:
I was unaware
This was thе last time
I’ll see you on the other sidе
If had the chance to say goodbye
I’d tell you everything
Just wake me up before it’s over
We love that ‘See You on the Other Side’ is the album closer because it’s such a touching sentiment and a beautiful, relatable song for any Hammy fans struggling with the loss of a loved one. Eric said this song would make us cry the hardest, and he was right.
‘9 On Your Bedside’
This song was described as the darkest on the album lyrics-wise and actually stems from another personal experience of Eric’s, a scarier one this time. You can read a little bit more about that from Eric himself here. We meant it when we said Heart Attack Man does not shy away from exploring topics outside what you’d normally hear and it makes the music more impactful in our opinion. We can’t imagine the level of vulnerability it takes to write about something like this and to revisit that period of your life and we thank Eric for that openness. The lyrics to this track might be a little aggressive and unnerving for some people, but living through the experience that it details was probably a million times more unnerving, and this track explores the other perspective in that scary situation. What is music if not a way for artists to share pieces of themselves and their lives? We think this is a standout track on the album no questions asked and we applaud Hammy for diving into darker topics unapologetically with their music.
‘Like A Kennedy’
‘Like a Kennedy’ was the final single we got before Freak of Nature dropped and it exponentially increased our excitement for the album. The hook is so catchy and it was immediately stuck on repeat in our heads after we heard it. While the Kennedy assassination might be an unexpected topic for a pop-punk song, there are also some personal ties involved in this track too. Eric has mentioned before that a relative of his was involved with the plot and how he grew up with that knowledge, making ‘Like a Kennedy’ a special song to him in a way you might not expect. It certainly makes for an interesting fact.
Freak of Nature is truly some of Heart Attack Man’s best work yet and we can really see a lot of these songs becoming quintessential Hammy tracks we would recommend to new fans. There is not a single skip on this album and every song is so unique it makes for a great listening experience. All the personal experiences woven into Freak of Nature really add depth to it, making it a standout album lyrically, sonically, and thematically. It’s definitely going to make it on the list as one of our top albums of the year and you absolutely need to stream it for yourselves ASAP.
Catch Heart Attack Man on the Freak of Na-Tour right now, tickets are available here, and be sure to let us know which songs you’re most hyped about! They’re not like the other tours, they’re a cool tour, they’re selling deodorant at the merch table. Drop a comment below letting us know what you think of the album or come buzz with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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