Labels: Sacred Plague
Review by: Alex Deller
The Inside Recess kids say they’ve played with the likes of Kylesa and the Minus Tide, and while I was secretly hoping for something along the lines of Kylesa’s churning end-of-the-world metallic hardcore it seems they’re more in line with the Swedish death metal influences of that latter namedrop, notching up the intensity on the Maiden-inspired riffs and all but burying them beneath three hundred tonnes of morbid heaviness as a pair of singers trade ravening crow-caws for bowel-rattling grunts. Their lyrics mysteriously dart between tried and tested hardcore norms (shitty government/shitty job etc. etc. etc.) and being locked in mortal combat with undead foes or flesh-hungry pterodactyls, which, whilst odd, is at least refreshing.
Existential Dilemma adopt a similarly metallic approach, and while their vocal duelling sounds extremely similar to that of Inside Recess (heavy metal incest?), theirs is a far less frenzied attack, more content with a mid-placed plod than the whirling blitz of their pals. From a musical perspective there’s far more to absorb and assimilate here, the band experimenting with tempos and crushing atmospherics to great effect that, whilst decent in itself, doesn’t quite) live up to the single-minded adrenalin overload of the Inside Recess peeps. Nonetheless they seal the deal with suitable panache and make for a well-rounded slice of plastic that should hopefully bring these bands some well-deserved attention. Solid.