Woah. Cheese wire guitars. Bass rumble. Clenched guitar screech. Rattling drums. Throaty, threatening vocals.
Think the darkness of Cop Shoot Cop, the upbeat snarl of the Jesus Lizard, the unremitting weight of the Melvins. Chuck in a little Big Black and No Means No and newer elements such as Quicksand, Girls Against Boys (it's the way that bass *rumbles*), Clutch. Ha ha.
Opener "Jack Frost" spits and snarls over strangled harmonics and a spiralling mix of Jesus Lizard funk and Fugazi chorussing. All these influences make them sound like themselves even though you know the area they're operating in.
Lyrically, it's all pained, wordy stuff. But fuck the lyrics, it's the *sound*. A few good stick-out phrases are all that's important sometimes.
"Absolution" - Pantera dragged through Shellac. "Terrain Vague", looping and building until the masochistic squeals come as blessed relief. Played loud, it damages. "Future Tense" - if you can avoid jerking at least one part of your body through moments such as the staccato finish then you`re already dead.
My only word of advice - never underestimate the power of a heart wrenching tune in amongst all the carnage, guys (I'm thinking of Helmet, Quicksand). The raging can get a little wearing even if the dynamics are frequently breathtaking.
Fists don't come much more clenched than this, the guitar necks are gripped tight enough to snap. Buy it for those special pissed-off days.
