Something weird about this one. At root it’s brisk, fairly no-nonsense hardcore with burly vocals and a clear, direct approach that’s neither novel or distinct: you can imagine The Classics (Discharge; Negative Approach (LP more than the 7”); GISM; Anti Cimex (‘Scandinavian Jawbreaker’ more than the 7”s)) all being in regular rotation chez Vivisected Numbskulls, and that’s all fine and as it should be. But then there’s this other side to things. Nothing outlandish per se, and nothing that at first listen seems particularly untoward, but these little moments that snag at your nape, and prevent you from settling down into bland complacency while the record’s spinning. Things like the way the singer’s voice occasionally descends into a choked gurgle. Or the odd traces of monotonous synth that ooze in and just sort of hang about for a bit. The basslines that scrabble like something living behind your walls. And the way things get sort of crispy and pixellated when everything ramps up, as though you’re playing ‘Gauntlet’ and far too many foes are flooding the screen. I’m not sure whether any of this is by accident or design, but it definitely elevates ‘Swine In Chains’ in a strange and vaguely creepy way. It goes without saying that I’m more than a little into it.
