I’ve a lot of respect for the Holy Roar guys and gals; they’re a label which always seems to be at the cutting edge of hardcore music, releasing records by bands on the verge of doing new and exciting things. Their alumni is like a who’s who of UK hardcore acts and some of those bands, like Gallows, Rolo Tomassi and The Ghost of a Thousand are now highly respected in their own right. I can’t always say every release has been my ‘thing’, but I admire the label as an independent body that does things their way. They’re inspiring in many ways and smaller, lesser labels could do with looking at them and the ways in which they conduct their business.
Anyway, this EP is about to be released on Holy Roar and is as noisy and vicious a record as I’ve heard in quite some time. The six tracks break out in the blink of an eye with some searing shouting and screaming and twisting and turning guitar riffs. It’s angry and aggressive, visceral even, yet interesting and intriguing too. It’s very dark musically (I can’t make too many of the lyrics out so I don’t know if the subject matter is as dark) and there are certainly metal and hardcore references here too. ‘Fuck Life’ and ‘Something Low From This Way Comes’ both have some seriously meaty riffs and even meatier vocal work.
It’s a bit heavy for me personally, but it’s still easy to admire a band playing intense and passionate music and playing it well. They could well be the next of the Holy Roar stable to go on to bigger and better things.