View The Review
7 out of 10
Leeds has its fair share of weird, heavy rock bands that molest and manipulate punk, hardcore and metal as they see fit - the likes of That Fucking Tank, ¡Forward, Russia!, Bilge Pump and Humanfly. They aren't afraid to get a bit funky or prog out every now and then either. On 'Swords', the first ever release by the Best Enemies record label, Blacklisters carry on that fine tradition with their own twisted take on experimental hard rock.
There are no compromises here, and when Billy Mason-Wood shouts, "Put your back into it" he might be telling us something, as this isn't easy listening. 'Swords' and final track 'Again' (the reason to get the vinyl - along with 'Minute Gun', it isn't available for download) are in-your-face, with the bass pushed up front and Bronx/Every Time I Die grooves to get stuck into, although Mason-Wood's vocal blasts suggest that might hurt.
The songs in between, 'OK47' and 'Minute Gun', are less punchy and focused. The former's dirty, frazzled riffs are wayward, while it would interesting to hear what Mason-Wood sounds like when his voice isn't buried underneath the deliberately muffled, scuzzy production. The latter begins with a sinister doom build up but the resulting sludge isn't worth the anticipation, even with its blistering warped-core finish.
Blacklisted have had comparisons with The Jesus Lizard and Melvins. They're not there yet, but there's definitely enough here for them to be ATP crowd pleasers in the meantime.
Listen: www.myspace.com/blacklisters
Tracklist:
1. Swords
2. OK47
3. Minute Gun
4. Again
No comments:
Post a Comment