Asschapel – Fire & Destruction
I was really looking forward to this one. Twelve new furious, metalized, yet punk friendly sermons. Grating screams, and throaty growls roar commandingly over mid to fast paced riffing. The blasting sections have a more Hardcore feel to much of the drums than say a Grind feel, where the guitars are a bit more on the metal side of the equation, and the overall energy of the release to me is more in line with some of the Swedish HC scene or those that have fallen under its spell. Then you have song titles like “Approach The Casket,” “Carcass, Bloody Carcass” and “The Sledgehammer Assault” to further muddy the waters of what they are going for. But it’s irrelevant really because it has an appeal for any of the literal or suggested influences at work here. The writing revolves around an urgency and energy to drive it, but there are some great slow hooks mixed in with the faster bits, and they uses elements of melody and dissonance to further the range of the tracks. It’s an infectious record, and I would imagine would be a great show to see, the movement and writing is structured really effectively for both crushing hooks and blast beats, without coming off as tired and typical at all. – Scott
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Worm Gear 