Labels: Solar Flare
Review by: Alex Deller
Philly rockers Bardus offer up some thumpingly good stuff here: a volcanic mix of antisocial styles that’ve been expertly blended together. At its molten core I’d say ‘Stella Porta’ is probably a noise-rock record, the pounding riffs and jagged edges reminiscent of classic acts like Helmet, Unsane and Big’n. This said, though, there are plenty of other elements giving the aggressive clunks a run for their money, with sludgy maunderings and thick globs of bad vibes psych making their unpleasant presence felt. While many bands may have been tempted to labour the ‘epic’ side of this woozy concoction, Bardus prefer a terse, hardcore-esque immediacy that provides another layer to their sound while ensuring the threat level remains uncomfortably high throughout.