Since reforming in 2010, LAST WITNESS have demonstrated an unquestionable no-holds-barred attitude; perhaps superseding any of their contemporaries in the hardcore field. The unashamed battery of their instruments pushes their sound away from the technicality that has become associated with the genre, merging with more traditional breakdowns and sluggish guitars affiliated with straightforward metal. ‘Mourning After’ demonstrates the bands desire to deliver unembellished brutality, both in terms of content and context, only relinquishing their untamed hold on the audience for a couple of isolated moments.
The unadulterated force of ‘Mourning After’ runs the danger of alienating a reasonable percentage of the audience and the reluctance to offer the listener a chance to catch their breath can on occasion lead to the tracks blending together, so in this sense at times LAST WITNESS could benefit from a slight change in stylistic approach. Saying that, it is easily the merciless onslaught of screams and ominous instrumentation that leaves the listener bruised and battered at the end of these twenty-seven minutes. The final moments of album closer ‘Marionette’ help to ensure that the full effect has been punched into anyone who has withstood the previous seven tracks, ending with vocalist Theo Kindynis’ repeated demand to “walk away”; and walking away is possibly the only thing left to do after this barbaric ride.
On their sophomore release, LAST WITNESS sound like a stripped back hardcore band without the experimental and/or technical horseplay – when brutality and ferocity sound this poignant there is little need to stray from the destructive path. The band describe ‘Mourning After’ as their heaviest work to date, but in this case heavy does not even come close to summarizing the pure savageness on display. The sound LAST WITNESS have honed will not appease those with lighter tastes; this is by no means music for the faint hearted, nor is it an instantly accessible record. However, for those with heavier inclinations, this London based quintet will effortlessly take you to hell and back.
BEN TIPPLE