999,990: Los Halos – Reasons to Smile

There are a limited number of riffs out there. A very limited number. In fact, so far scientists have only been able to isolate 16. And in the history of rock & roll, each and every one of these 16 riffs has been recycled by all kinds of bands again and again, with only slight variations at best. When a band lays down a riff, the question isn’t whether the riff is a brand new thing no one has ever heard before. After all, there are a limited number of combinations of the notes nearest the headstock on a guitar’s low E string. It’s not a question of reinventing the riffage wheel. It’s a question of how the band handles it. How they carry themselves. Are they intimidated by the riff’s sheer magnitude? Do they buckle under the onslaught of the mighty riff? Does the riff call all the shots? Or do they harness its raw power, channel it, and use it for good? Or better yet, evil? In other words, does the band play the riff, or does the riff play the band? Los Halos plays the riff (the shopworn riff #3, even) with confidence. In fact, if you close your eyes and clear your head, you can almost imagine they’ve discovered a hypothetical 17th riff.

Reasons to Smile - Los Halos