This month sees the release of a trio of split assaults from New York based label Broken Limbs Recordings. Each is a raw and imposing echo of the darkest, dirtiest, and destructive traits of humanity and the world it has created emotionally and physically, and all propositions which leave a lingering imprint on the psyche as invasive as the sounds which sonically harangue and ravage the senses.
New Haven’s SEA OF BONES and New Hampshire’s RAMLORD come together for one of the incursions upon ears, each offering one epic trespass of their uncompromising sound and intent. Sea of Bones strike first with HOPELESSNESS AND DECAY, the trio of bassist/vocalist Gary Amedy, guitarist/vocalist Tom Mucherino, and drummer/vocalist Kevin Wigginton unleashing a cavernous soundscape soaked in predacious intensity from the off. For over ten minutes the trio breed a wall of confrontation as expansive and decayed as it is at times melancholically seductive. The track ambles, at times lumbers, across the senses, spreading its filth clad body and air with sludge fuelled hostility and moments of corrosive ambience leaving ears and emotions numb.
It is engrossing stuff matched in success by Ramlord’s proposal. INCARCERATION OF CLAIRVOYANCE is a mere few seconds shorter and just as enjoyably challenging. With a black metal/crust corrosiveness to their sound, the band explore a more urgent examination of the listener infesting them with their joyless yet at times fiercely infectious savaging with some inescapable hooks to be eagerly snared by. With essences recalling the likes of Discharge and Amebix, the track completes a powerful and gripping proposal.
Another of the three releases sees the coming together of Tennessee’s BLACK TAR PROPHET and from Pennsylvania IRON GAVEL. A seven track instrumental invasion again showing no 
respect of the listener’s peace and sanity, the first half of the split is consumed by Black Tar Prophet’s sludge/doom powered incursions into the senses and imagination. Starting with the compelling persistence of MALIGNANT, a track living up to its name, the duo of bassist Greg Swinehart and drummer Erik Dever snarl in their distinct way across a further three incitements. As dark as they are heavy, as primal as they are strangely comforting and understanding to the darkest corners of one’s thoughts, Black Tar Prophet probe and transfix with RUINOUS DECAY and the deeply disturbed ABUSE especially momentous.
Iron Gavel have a less thick climate to their music but one which still crawls over the senses like a venomous predator and seeps into the corner of every emotion like erosive smog. Consisting of Dan Martin and Ryan Advent, the band taps into the psyche with their sonic and rhythmic explorations whether it be through vast and wonderfully nagging crawls like their first track here TEETH/THORN or through the shortest swinging assaults as its successor SHROUD, a concussive tempest of an aural dispute. Completed by the band’s pungent and relentlessly acidulous but refreshing GERM, the split is a match for the previous mentioned threat and at times eclipses it.
The last of the Broken Limbs offerings is GUILT AND HIS REFLECTION, thirteen tracks bringing Texans CARA NEIR and WILDSPEAKER together in a split which sees its concept realised through both bands revolving around cannibalism in a post-apocalyptic scenario. The first seven songs escape the creative potency of Arlington, Texas crust duo vocalist Chris Francis and multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents. Starting with the sonically and vocally raw but melodically seductive HALO OF GREY, Cara Neir proceed to explore not only the psychological depths and impact bred in an apocalyptic environment but those of the listener too as tracks like CLINGING TO MY LAST BIT OF SANITY and THE VIEW THROUGH THIS FOG seem to flirt with ears and imagination as fully as they wonderfully antagonise them with their blend of black metal and post rock infested punk. Each of the band’s songs leave a potent impact with the outstanding almost poppy EGO EATS MAN stealing the pair’s half of the show.
Fort Worth based Wildspeaker brings their blackened crust tempests to the release with just as much creative venting and eagerness. Also featuring their partners in adventure’s Brents, the quintet go for the jugular from the off with the hellacious storm of hell DESECRATION PLAGUE. Led by the savage riffs of Nelson Favela and Zak Pitts as vocalist Natalie Kahan spills her rage, the track is as dirty and visceral as its name suggests with toxicity just as potent and appealing in its successor SINS OF DESPERATION which takes best track honours on the second half of the split. Driven mercilessly by Ricky Rivera’s drums, the track devours the senses but exciting them at the same time. With FIRST TASTE OF FLESH, another big shout for the biggest pinnacle of the release, and HIS REFLECTION especially notable among nothing less than six energy sapping uncompromisingly enjoyable whippings, Wildspeaker complete the third of a trio of splits which abrasively spark and forcibly ignite the senses.
The Sea of Bones/Ramlord Split is available @ http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/sea-of-bones-ramlord-split Limited to 300 12″ copies: 200 black, and 100 orange vinyl, each with a download card.
https://www.facebook.com/Sea-of-Bones-35253450819/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ramlord/116149375131744
The Black Tar Prophet/Iron Gravel Split is available @ http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/black-tar-prophet-iron-gavel-split Limited to 300 12″ copies: 200 black, and 100 red vinyl, each with a download card and poster.
https://www.facebook.com/blacktarprophet https://www.facebook.com/irongavelpa/
The Cara Neir/Wildspeaker Split is available @ http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/guilt-and-his-reflection Limited to 100 white shell cassettes
https://www.facebook.com/caraneir https://www.facebook.com/wildspeaker
https://brokenlimbsrecordings.net/pages/releases
Pete RingMaster 22/09/2016
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Beneath the Chapel takes over next, an encounter growing in ears with a less forceful character compared to its predecessors but one soon sharing its own captivating net of flesh whipping beats and rapacious grooves to seriously please. Again within an ever tempestuous nature irresistible hooks taunt and tempt, providing rich bait within the rawest roar of sound to come from the band in any offering yet and the same template seeds the following Without Warning, a design breeding another individual treat within the album. A tempest of grooves and antagonistic ferocity it simply blossoms into a psyche infesting avalanche of predacious animosity to leave a hunger for more.
Lurker steps up next, again with an opening which demands attention. This time the invitation is a threatening collusion of sound and texture, almost asylum like in its tone and vocal cries. Framing the drama, drummer Jasper Brownlow and bassist Adam McGuinness again place wonderfully grouchy bait which only finds greater impact as a thrash bred surge of riffs and energy erupts. As its predecessor, the song also flows through intensive and slower predacious moments to keep expectations on their toes, especially the almost theatrical passage of the lyrical protagonist’s introspection which comes forward.
Ealdfaeder opens with Eurocide and immediately has the imagination alive as resonating beats from drummer Luca Belviso unite with the suggestive hues of Annie Perreault’s flute. Thoughts of ancient civilisations and modern cultures arise to the simple but pungent lure as the EP begins its overall look at “… the loss of interest and connection between human cultures and the environment due to our greed filled, corrupt world of today.” In no time Perreault is surrounded by the more predacious riffs of Perkins and Sylvain Dumont as that initial rhythmic coaxing equally turns primal and intensive. Drama soaks the track even as it settles down somewhat, though it is still prone to explosive reactions within its intrigue guided prowl. The raw vocal squalls of Barrie Butler infest ears and atmosphere too whilst the resonation of Cesar Franco’s bass strings is as expressive as the flame of French horn laid within the maelstrom by again Perreault.
Released via Godz Ov War Productions / Mythrone Promotion, Enlightenment by Bloodletting is opened up by Turbocharged, the trio of vocalist/bassist Ronnie “Ripper” Olson, guitarist Old Nick, and drummer Freddie Fister imposing Bloodletting on ears. From the moment a wiry groove entangles the senses as concussive rhythms begin to cantankerously stir, attention and pleasure is ignited. As the song’s blasphemy grows, so does the thick lure of bass and riffs around the grouchy tones of Olson, backed in voracious kind by the rest of the band. At its core, the track is unbridled punk ‘n’ roll, a testy examination of body and emotions wrapped in searing sonic enterprise and irritable intensity driven to greater corruption by the merciless beats and dexterity of Fister.
Hellstörm, guitarist Bestial Avenger, bassist Corpsebutcher, and drummer Mortar, the Kraków hailing quartet similarly launch at ears with venomous intent. Instantly, barbarous rhythms collude with bitter riffery as Hellstörm’s vocals spill squalling toxicity upon the now contagious and compelling onslaught of sound. Again it is easy to describe the core of the song as virulent rock ‘n’ roll entangled in the invasive dexterity and invention of the band, but it is a description which really does sum up the galvanic and invigorating violation on offer.
The EP opens with The Bleeding Throne; an enveloping of the senses and imagination from its first breath marked with a herald of melodies and atmospheric keys. It is a welcoming if portentous prelude to a rampant cascade of rabid riffs and matching rhythms within a wave of intensity as catchy as the thrash like canter that emerges from it. The craft and sound of Snape quickly impresses and works away on appreciative ears whilst the raw throated vocal squalls of Tetlow add a just as effective drama and predatory temper to the tapestry of provocative sounds around him. Thoughts of warriors, deceptions, and bloody turbulence are easy casting for the imagination as the song expands its sonic narrative, but equally there is an exotic beauty and expressive majesty to the song which grips the listener. It all further enhanced by the tendrils of varied metal and livelier variety in the vocals with blossom throughout.