Thursday 23 October 2008

Review - Various - Throats/the_Network - Notes From The Turncoat Campaign

Various - Throats/the_Network - Notes From The Turncoat Campaign

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8 out of 10

Sometimes noise can be intimidating, other times it can be exhilarating to immerse yourself in the extremities of volume and be excited by something that's just really, really loud. With Throats (London) and the_Network (New Hampshire, USA) instruments merge into one thick, dark mass - guitars, bass, drums and voices matted together with one focus.

On 'Black Thursday' and 'The World Won't Listen' by Throats and 'Rabid Electronics' and '500 Pounds Of Idiot' by the_Network are hefty, cartilage-smashing strikes to the nose - but there are still discernible riffs, melodies and narratives in with the impenetrable. There's a range to the growls, shouts and howls of Throats. the_Network deliberately show less control and are more savage in their post-Botch/Converge metallic hardcore - their first contribution thrashes like a cat o'nine tails; their second is a chugging blitz.

It's the final song from each band that reveal why Holy Roar have so much faith in them though. With 'Hibernate', Throats expand slow the pace and draw out their fury to include threatening grooves and engrossing drones. While with 'R. Taylor' the_Network actually simplify things rather than expand them, clarifying every element of their sound, making the song craft that goes into heavy music more obvious than it usually is. Which is for the good, because both of these bands are two of the most intriguing around, as well as the most noisy.

Listen: www.myspace.com/throatsofgold, www.myspace.com/thenetworkmetal

Tracklist:
1. Throats - Black Thursday
2. Throats - The World Won't Listen
3. Throats - Hibernate
4. the_Network - Rabid Electronics
5. the_Network- 500 Pounds Of Idiot
6. the_Network - R. Taylor

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