CAUSE OF DEATH

The popularity that this S/T LP from Abuse. received amongst the powerviolence set late last year was definitely noticeable. Regularly this burly brand of hardcore is right up my alley, with many of the bands that have attempted this style over the years getting some sort of attention from me on this blog. And while the music here is certainly an entertaining listen, and one worthy of repeated plays from myself over the last few weeks, it's not quite hitting the same nerve that similar stuff has recently. Captured here are all the right ideas and elements; frantic, hasty blasts offset with slow, plodding dirge, distorted, choppy vocals, and a heavy, murky guitar tone, but the pure cleanliness, almost sterility of the recording is a little off putting at times. Such is the style that sometimes during the slower bits I am reminded of certain moshy B9 style acts, though I doubt for the most part that other fans would get that vibe, or that the band had intended it at all. I can't ignore it though.
On a positive note, the singer sounds heaps like Mickey from Perth group Suffer. Split black and brown press on To Live A Lie Records.