Released a year ago, Flesh Hammer from Danish noise alchemists Fossils has, from fusing the senses and passions on its first touch, continued to reign on our weekly playlist, and more often than not in a daily burst or two. The outstanding release from the instrumental noise rockers as their sound generally, is a primal temptation sculpted by the bass and drums of Simon Tornby and Per Silkjær respectively. In that union though, the band breeds hooks, grooves, and rhythms which are as sinister and predatory as they are contagiously all-consuming. The album was pure addiction in our ears and the band exactly one year later have done it all over again with a new release, this one coming with a thrilling twist.
With their new instrumental exploration scheduled for 2016, Fossils have filled the gap between albums and impressively fed anticipation with new EP The Meating. Where that twist comes in is in the fact that this encounter is awash with tempestuous vocals. At the time of the unleashing of Flesh Hammer, the duo enlisted various singers to interpret tracks vocally from the album at its release show. Originally planned as a one off occurrence, the band subsequently took the performers into the studio to record their additions to the original songs, and now we have the quite scintillating and compelling devilry of The Meating; seven pieces from the last album re-interpreted and ignited again vocally. Renamed and presumably re-mixed or re-tweaked musically, unless the vocals transform tracks even more potently than we thought, the EP is another irresistible and storming onslaught from Fossils.
Opener Deadringer features Jacob Bredahl of The Kandidate and once of HateSphere, and under the torrential bombardment of Silkjær’s addictive beats it instantly has ears and attention submissive. It is of course prime Fossils bait, the snarling lure of the bass and its crunching riffs aligning to voraciously swinging rhythms for immediate manna to the ears. Bredakl is soon roaring with his distinctive tones, challenging and raging with attitude and animosity within the increasingly virulent sounds. Already a pungently confronting encounter, the song is given extra causticity and rancor by the singer, and as all the songs becomes a brand new proposition.
The following Taxon is graced by the blistering industrialised contribution of Ultimate Combat Noise, the track brewed into a corrosively attractive and psyche scorching antagonist whilst next 
up Meat Lover takes on a punk crafted guise thanks to Mads Stobberup of Cola Freaks. He vocally brawls over the spicy infectiousness of the equally agitated sound; the track like his voice is not exactly looking for a fight but given a nudge will lash out with relish. It is not the last track to have an infusion of varying punk revelry and those tracks do emerge as favourites, though everything excites without reserve.
Marie Højlund of Marybell Katastrophy gives Ridge and the Rock a siren-esque seduction next, her ethereal and seductive tones wrapping like a temptress around the wiry lures of the bass and the ravenous energy of the drums. It is a bewitching infestation of senses and lust, an increasingly rabid and psychotic enchantment matched by the punk ferocity of Speedbacon. Seb Doubinsky provides the voice to the Dead Kennedys like take on the original rasher of noise bestiality. The track is ravenous in nature, though nicely contrasted by the vocal porcine fun in a presence barely lasting a minute of length.
The final two tracks steal the show, even if by a slither. Firstly Ham Reader expels an acidic and venomous bluster over its tempest of noise through Mikko Mansikkala Jensen’s bracing throat bred squalls. It is a ferocious and wholly magnetic assault which sets the emotions up perfectly for the final devilment of Ködhabit. The track is blessed by Kim Kix, one half of psyche rock ‘n’ rollers Powersolo, who thanks to Fossils and this release have just swiftly been added to our lustful favourites list. The song as expected launches a torrent of delicious grouchy bass growls and insatiable rhythms but grows further with the deranged tones and delivery of Kix. The song we would suggest is the most startlingly evolved of the bunch from the original templates set by Flesh Hammer, a hellacious rocker which relentlessly flirts with the passions in a way which only an image of Gene Vincent being twisted inside out by and thrust on stage by Cleve Barker’s Cenobites, who then provide the backing sounds fits. We said that every track is a massive and equally thrill, and they are, but the final song of The Meating is another type of creature and looks down on all with majestic lunacy.
The Meating is and feels like a brand new offering from Fossils as we await their next instrumental escapade. Flesh Hammer graced many a best of list in 2014, and we can find no reason why this new offering will not be doing the same come December.
The Meating is available from March 2nd via Indisciplinarian.
FOSSILS will be performing at the three Danish Indisciplinarian Label Nights in late March with label mates Piss Vortex and Anti Ritual at…
26/3 – Stengade, Copenhagen (DK)
27/3 – Radar, Aarhus (DK)
28/3 – 1000fryd, Aalborg (DK)
http://www.meatrush.com/ https://www.facebook.com/fossilsmusic
RingMaster 03/03/2015
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