Labels: Rämekuukkeli
Review by: Alex Deller
Waxed lyrical about Cicutoxin’s side of their split with Pigeon Hunt, so it’s good to dig into some fresh material. Rather than coughing up the same phlegmy mix of sludge and noise-rock, though, they’re crunching their existing sound through the powerviolence wringer. The mix is an unholy one but it works nicely enough, with each brief blast retaining its jagged edges while played at vomit-inducing velocity. The production could use a bit more oomph to really raise the songs to the next level, but all in all it should suit those whose tastes include both No Comment and Unsane. Oh, and is it just me or do the opening moments sound like ‘In The Shadow Of The Horns’ by way of Acme?
Slave Hands are on the flip, and they play a mangled brand of doom that sounds like it’s being played through hardcore kit. The riffs lumber and crush but the sound is lean and wiry, and the singer sounds like life has shredded his very last nerve. All of this leaves things strung out in a kind of tense and uncertain no man’s land where horror lurks in every shadowy corner.
Strong stuff all round – nice one, Finland.