Razoreater – Vacuum of Nihil

According to their bio, UK grindsters Razoreater formed in 2011 with “the hope of writing the most misanthropic, abrasive music they could.” It is fair to say that their aim has certainly been achieved within new EP Vacuum of Nihil. It is a five-track scourge of noise and cynical emotion; an animus of intensity and raw sound violating every pore as it ravages the senses. Belying its corruption though, is a nasty virulence springing from the fusion of hardcore punk, d-beat, grind and metal, an infection which keenly incites involvement as its body viciously abrases.

Hailing from Peterborough, the quintet of vocalist Ben Rollings, guitarists Sam Gollings and Stephen Pickles, bassist Sam Holmes, and drummer Luke Thompson have drawn on inspirations from the likes of Napalm Death, Rotten Sound, Pulling Teeth, Dismember, and Entombed in the creation of their individual pestilence of sound. They create a provocation which has seen Razoreater earn strong support and reputation through their releases and live within the underground scene, one now threatening to break out into wider attention with Vacuum of Nihil.

   Nailbombed is the first rabid trespass on the senses; a sonic breeze initially building around a vocal sample before an eruption of hellacious intensity and rabidity. Guitars scar the air as vocals match their animosity in raw kind upon ears, their turbulence stalked by predatory rhythms and an underlying abusive swing which just recruits the appetite. It is a ruinous confrontation quickly equalled by the following I, Dreadnought, its debilitating unbridled fury quickly showing itself insatiable in animosity and sonic ferocity. As the first storm though, at its core a rock ‘n’ roll psychosis as infectious as it is venomous is laying riotous enslavement within it all.

Both of the opening pair of tracks goes for the jugular but there is more to the Razoreater predation as shown by Bloodeagled, the cancerous invasion crawling over the listener with primal, sludge thick enmity. It too unlatches the gate to unrestrained full-on assaults but the cold and harsher lumbering moments bring new and flavoursome scarring rewards for those braving the murderous affair.

A rampant sonic and vocal rancor drives Wrath next. Flesh flaying riffs and scathing syllables are the fuel to the scavenging proposal with irresistible grooves the tempting scenery within an evolving soundscape of bad blood and creative ill-will. There is no mercy from or escaping of the song’s blistering tirade or that of its successor and closing violation Filth Scheming, Shrill Screaming. Another venomously jaundiced onslaught, the track is a minute and a half of punk pain and gripping danger which eventually content that its barbarous incitement is done unleashes another minute or two of senses smothering black drone hued noise.

It goes without saying that Vacuum of Nihil is going to be a sonic malefaction too far for many but also a delicious infringement of the psyche for others. There is only one way to find out of course, to allow Razoreater to trespass.

Vacuum of Nihil is available from January 13^th via WOOAAAGH and Skin and Bones Records on one-sided 12″vinyl with a limited edition of 500 yellow/black marbled copies with etched logo B-side, 12″ insert, and download code and at https://razoreater.bandcamp.com/album/vacuum-of-nihil

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Pete RingMaster 13/01/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Oiltanker: The Shadow of Greed LP/Crusades 7”

As brutal as an acid bath and as incendiary George Galloway at a Women Against Rape meeting, the re-release of The Shadow of Greed from d-beat punk band Oiltanker is an abrasion of unavoidable pleasure and senses stripping intrusion. With the Crusades 7” by its side and both originally vinyl only releases, the package is now released through Southern Lord as a limited CD, the first ever in that format from the band.   It is not for the faint hearted, its assault caustic in the extreme and unforgiving but it is also proof that the genre they violate is alive and well.

The release does not offer anything new in the direction of the genre admittedly but certainly makes for an important entrant and treat for those who missed its previous presence. It is raw and merciless, a thirty minute sonic enema for the senses and ears across sixteen songs to leave one grasping for support whilst fully satisfied. With a production to match and enhance the venomous and destructive breath of the songs, the release is a sonic bloodbath to endure and embrace.

The Hartford, Connecticut quartet riles up the senses immediately with opener Last Words and are unrelenting until the closing festering onslaught of Plague. The first song opens with a regular punk intro before exploding into a hardcore confrontation and numbing d-beat scrambling. The vocals are rasping and scraping whilst the lyrics border on indecipherable but brought with a force which tells all. The track sets the tone for the whole album and instantly warns you that if you are looking for finesse or intricate invention than move on, quickly.

The likes of Coma with its swamping intensity and fiery sonic flare up and the excellent Who’s In Control, raise the initial heat and bar which the album subsequently wavers around but never drops far below throughout.  The latter of the pair is a combative flesh stripper brought with skill and addiction seeding grooves. It is impossible not to talk of every song in regards of its strength and intense violation but beneath the squalling tempest there is some hypnotic enterprise going on to keep things fresh.

Throughout the drums and rhythms grab the attention more often than not from other elements of the songs due to the production and their impressive craft but it does not detract from the tracks, which at times is remarkable such their stature within songs. Further major highlights come with the likes of Suffer, Consume And Grow, and Ruins, though it is fair to say not one track is anything less than very satisfying. The first of the trio is a brawling face hugger bruising with every note whilst the middle one of the trio is an immediate mental sonic fisting from its opening which one never truly recovers from or wants to.

The sonic piercing to open tracks is a frequent infectious poison on latter songs with the striking Gutted and previously mentioned Ruins leaving their deep rooted scars impressively. Like a throbbing toothache they linger and overwhelm with insidious breath but only leave pleasure in their wake.

Any hardcore/d-beat fans not yet having had the pleasure of being abused by Oiltanker than this is a release not to miss, but as said it is limited so no time to linger and make a decision, just get it.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oiltanker/178083802211595

RingMaster 03/09/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Martyrdöd: Paranoia

Paranoia the new album from Swedish crust punk/D-beat band Martyrdöd is quite simply a blistering assault upon the senses. The eleven track blast across the ear is merciless and brutal, the crushing intensity it infiltrates with is at times overwhelming but ultimately very rewarding thanks to the skilful and imaginative underlying melodic impactful invention. The first release since recently signing to Southern Lord it is hard not to be confronted by and seized by the sounds the album for the fullest satisfaction. Though admittedly it is not the easiest of releases to engage with certainly initially, it is ultimately one of the more impressive extreme metal releases this year so far.

Since forming in 2001 Martyrdöd has been a persistent and challenging contributor to underground metal through their always impossible to ignore releases. With ex-members of the likes of Skitsystem, Agrimonia, and Miasmal, the band had a dedicated following which has grown through each of their outputs and live shows across Europe and the US. Paranoia was recorded at the infamous Studio Fredman (At The Gates, Amon Amarth, Opeth) and has emerged with the band arguably even more aggressive, intense, and full of discord and disassembled melodic invention.

From the opening Nog Är Nog the band is snarling and scraping flesh with decisive guitar play within angry riffs. The addictive scorched groove offers slight respite but the track takes no time in scouring the senses with abrasive melodic play and unsophisticated venomous vocals. As the whole album the lyrics are in Swedish but the malcontent and passion behind the lyrics is unmissable.

As tracks like Överkom Er Rädsla, and Klassfienden follow, the rabid intensity shows no sign of abating instead becoming even more forceful and spiteful. Each track though brings compulsive invention to line the insatiable energy and malevolence, their blackened and acidic melodic conjurations twisting and turning with fresh poison in each song. The second of these two lights up the ear with an initial attention grabbing rhythmic attack before plastering the senses with barbaric riffs, beats, and venomous guitars.

The album is firmly consistent if at times under a similar consumptive mass but with concentrated endeavour the full diversity of the songs are to be found. As mentioned it is not an easy listen but as here many releases needing focused intent and patience are the most satisfying.

Ett Hjärta Av Eld, title track Paranoia, and Köttberg, are easily the biggest highlights on the album. The first is a sprawling expanse of insistent energy and enveloping droned guitar menace. The track writhes and teases with a muscular breath and intrusive touch without fully violating every inch of the senses instead leaving them sizzling under its mesmeric distressed melodies. The other two of the trio are similar in their ability to manipulate and offer a hypnotic pull though Paranoia is a far nastier and caustic track whilst the latter of the three is a visceral aural destruction of the synapses.

      Paranoia is a fine album which demands and deserves more attention than maybe most will want to give but dive beneath the vicious surface skirmish of aggressive energy and Martyrdöd give you far more rewards and fulfilment than many other releases especially of the extreme nature.

RingMaster 01/06/2012

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