Electric Callboy

MMXX - Hypa Hypa Edition

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Genre: Metalcore.
Released: 21/05/2021
Via Century Media

EP Review: Eskimo Callboy – MMXX – Hypa Hypa Edition

German metalcore outfit Eskimo Callboy are back with the Hypa Hypa Edition of their 2020 EP ‘MMXX’. The new version of the EP includes all six of the original songs, but also includes seven renditions of the band’s viral hit ‘Hypa Hypa’. I never got around to checking out the band’s original EP so I thought what better time than with the release of this edition.

We start as we mean to go on with the song in question ‘Hypa Hypa’. Gaining over 12 million views on the track’s YouTube music video, and 19 million streams on Spotify, I find it hard to believe anyone doesn’t know about this track. Bathed in an 80s aesthetic with mullet wigs, fake moustaches, and bold colours, the video and images surrounding the release might make you believe you’ve clicked on the wrong link. The song itself fuses a mix of metalcore and electro pop, to create something that’s really quite fun to listen to. It’s hard to know whether to dance or headbang at times. The song’s infectious beat and catchy lyrics will have you thinking about it for the rest of the day. Its one of those songs where you go “What the fuck is this…” and then immediately after “I must share this with everyone I know”. It’s a great song to just put on and forget about the world’s problems for a little bit. It’s gimmicky but entertaining.

This is then followed by ‘Hate/Love’, keeping on the EPs synthy-electro nature but not going for an as upbeat, danceable rhythm, ‘Hate/Love’ is kinda disappointing. It feels short and doesn’t do much to set itself apart. I feel this track wouldn’t feel out of place on A Day To Remember’s latest album ‘You’re Welcome’. It’s fine, I wouldn’t switch it off if it came on the radio, but equally I wouldn’t necessarily put it on myself.

Thankfully following that we have ‘MC Thunder II (Dancing Like a Ninja)’ another really fun track on the EP. The song follows up ‘MC Thunder’ from the band’s 2017 album. Not straying too far from ‘Hypa Hypa’, this song also has an infectually catchy chorus. Relying less on it’s gimmicks (Although it’s video is still funny and shareable) this is a really well done track perfectly infusing it’s mix of styles into a great song.

Reminding me of early Asking Alexandria, ‘Monsieur Moustache’ and ‘Dramaqueen’ follow. Both tracks feature some great gutturals, and lean way more into the band’s heavier side. Despite the songs seeming more serious in nature, this isn’t translated into the lyrics, and the band’s crass lyrical choices continue, with lines like “We are harder than your mom’s cock”, although I imagine you wouldn’t have made it this far into this EP if you had a real problem with that.

Adding a slower moment to the EP, and ending it on the original release, ‘Prism (feat. Tobias Rauscher)’ is easily one of the highlights of the EP, and one I could find myself recommending to people who probably haven’t liked anything else thus far. It’s a great piece of acoustic rock to end on.

Moving into the covers territory of the EP, we start with my personal favorite of the seven ‘Hypa Hypa’ covers, where we see the band teaming up with medieval metallers Saltatio Mortis. Ditching the original’s electro pop nature and adding in a whole bunch of interesting instruments, like a hurdy gurdy, bagpipes, and a lute. This cover makes the song feel big, and has me turning it up whenever it comes on.

While Saltatio Mortis’ cover is my favourite, a common theme with all of them, is that they’re all excellently done, whether it be the hip hop version from 257ers, the country western version from The BossHoss, the house remix from Gestört aber GeiL, or any of the others. It would have been quite easy for the band to slap several songs together and just call it a day, but bringing on several artists, and getting them to do some actually great covers just adds to the layers of the joke of listening to ‘Hypa Hypa’ several times in a row.

With all the subtlety of a Family Guy joke, Eskimo Callboy certainly won’t be for everybody, but over the outlandishness it’s hard not to smile at and just enjoy it for what it is. I really enjoyed my time with the EP.