Spill Your Guts are based in Shanghai, giving them a different perspective to many of other bands you may be listening to. Not to discredit those other bands, but the most recent single from Spill Your Guts, ‘Lift The Curse’, opens with a description of events that happened in their local scene, namely that in 2018, live band performances were raided by police and shows had to move underground, making their very existence illegal. Whether this is true or not, it’s one hell of a hook for their new album, ‘The Wrath It Takes’.
Formed back in 2013, the band have an established sound they describe as ‘blackened hardcore’. They play hardcore punk that has a lot in common with Sick of It All, This Is Hell and even Comeback Kid, but this sound is infused with metal-style guitar licks and the fast, sinuous picking you’d find on a black metal record. It’s a great twist on a familiar sound and their 2017 debut album ‘Hungry Crows’ showed just how well they could make it work. It’s a premise designed to hook you in but can they hold your attention?
In short – yes.
Choose any song at all and it’s like being thrown into a pit with a rabid dog; each is energetic, riff-fuelled and anthemic. If you’re looking for straight-up hardcore then ‘Hollow Carcass’ will more than satisfy, and if you want something with a little more edge ‘Pyrite’ might be what you’re after. You can even get a black metal fix with ‘Reaper’s Toll’ which leans hard on its darker influences. You’re plunged into the darkest depths by punishing blast-beats and a snaking guitar part only to be hooked back out by a big twangy riff; it’s quite unexpected and a stroke of genius.
And speaking of geniuses, the record was produced and mastered by Scott Middleton, former Cancer Bats guitarist. Everything is remarkably slick and, under his guiding hand, the music’s metal trappings are excitingly blended with the hardcore assault. The sound is streamlined but doesn’t shy from its rougher edges, capturing the band’s energy and ferocity without losing the nuances. Every instrument is given its own space and notably on ‘Let This Body Rot’ you almost wince as Tyler Bowa hits the cymbals.
When discussing the record, the band strongly imply that Middleton helped craft the songs and, to put it bluntly, you can tell. The solo squeaking and squealing across ‘Prey On Death‘ definitely feels like one of his signature pieces, adding an extra dimension to the song without feeling gratuitous – not that there’s anything wrong with a gratuitous solo but in this case, this is both unexpected and exactly what the song needs. Similarly, if he didn’t suggest the ’Reaper’s Toll’ riff idea mentioned earlier, his former band probably influenced it. His guiding hand is also apparent on ‘Lift The Curse’ which is massive. It has a huge turnaround riff that gives the song a wide footprint and you can almost imagine it barging its way through a crowd of lesser hardcore songs. While the guitars throw out some twisty little riffs, the bass has a chunkier feel, carrying the song on a muscular undercurrent. Combined with a caustic vocal, it’s enough to sell the record on its own.
The album’s greatest strength is its consistency and although they’re unafraid to take songs in unexpected directions, it doesn’t peak or trough. Even the most straightforward tracks ‘Hollow Carcass’ and ‘Pain Echoes Back’ whip up an assault furious enough to leave you unsteady on your feet. At their most experimental, ‘Blood Soaked Wolves’ stubbornly refuses to follow the same pattern as the songs around it. Barking, howling and biting like its namesake, it finally descends into a chorus of ‘woahs’ during the outro, which makes it distinct but works comfortably in context.
Given the rapid-fire guitar style, the songs here really need a strong vocalist and Dima Bir delivers. His performance is frightening, spending the entire record yelling or shrieking in a way that’s admirably vicious without being punishing. You’re treated to some quite affecting sing-a-longs on ‘Your Soul Is Sick‘, and the album isn’t lacking in hooks by any means, especially as he retches and vomits his way through ‘Prey On Death’. Lyrically, Bir covers liberation from oppression, especially on ‘Die Untied’ where the repetition of the word ‘freedom’ contrasts with the use of ‘never’ and ‘nor’. The emphasis on angry and fiery words also makes it feel combative, which works well combined with the vicious music. While their first record touched upon important themes, here the songs feel mature and, while not being a statement of intent, you do get the feeling they have a lot to say.
Given the band’s circumstances (and that includes frequent line-up changes as well as Shanghai laws) it’s impressive the record exists at all. This doesn’t make them immune to criticism but does give the music added personality. You can’t ignore its creation, or how satisfying the results are.
Offering an unusual perspective, excellent production values and a different twist on a familiar sound, ‘The Wrath It Takes’ rips like a rusty chainsaw. Toothy, vicious and powerful, it tears its own groove but leaves a definite mark.
IAN KENWORTHY