Artwork by šaška
(On May 30th Drowning Sea God Records will digitally release the debut EP from the London-based metallic hardcore band ButcherBird. Wil Cifer has had a chance to hear it, and sent in the following positive review.)
I’m always up for checking out a hardcore band that is willing to venture off the beaten path. So here we are with ButcherBird, a hardcore band from London that has a metallic groove to their feedback-squealing attack.
The angry shout of the vocals is the most straightforward thing about the overall sound this band is throwing at you. They do use breakdowns, but these cropped up in less expected places. There is a more rock n roll vibe underlying the whiplash of angular riffs, making them more of Rollins Band than Full of Hell when it comes to the sonic scope these guys have crafted. Unwieldy sections of choruses collide to create a celebratory ambience. They are not fueled by a singular mood, but express a wide range of varied emotions with little pretense.
Photos by ButcherBird
On songs like “Be the Rabbit, ” the band balances out the nuances of songwriting with confrontational explosion. It makes me miss how the ’90s, hardcore was much more willing to be experimental than it is now, as this album invokes those kinds of nostalgia without being a tribute to the era. Midway into “Be the Rabbit” they offer up some brooding introspection that adds to the album’s overall dynamic flair.
Their vocalist sings rather than screams here as well. “Dead Cat Strategy” finds a burly bellowing set against the sinewy tension, as they wind their way around simmering resentment given catharsis here. “I’ve Walked in Space” finds more nuanced guitar expanding the album’s emotional range.
The last song is more high-energy and in your face. Their drummer is certainly earning his pay on this one. There is more of a noise-rock temperament, set against an urgent outpouring to spit these lyrics in your face at the high volume they can find. Lyrically, it’s more abstract than the typical “let’s all unite and be tough together to get through this unfair world” garbage that you average hardcore band preaches. Though it’s also not obsessed with the Apocalyptic hopelessness of crust-core or bands like Integrity, which I typically prefer, but instead falls into a more introspective contemplation, and this works with the shifting nature of their songs.
If you miss the days of more adventurous hardcore of the ’90s, before the genre became recycled Slayer riffs with a focus on breakdowns, these guys are worth your time as they take chances, which all pay off. The organic guitar sounds sometimes carry a touch of noise rock to their unruly banging, but it all works together to paint these songs. The focus of this album isn’t being heavy, but carrying an honest collage of emotional expression that creates something sonically unique and powerful. So if heavy is your only prerequisite for music, this might not be for you, but if you want something that balances its volatile leanings with story telling it is worth your time.
(A video for the first song off the EP, “Trajan’s Massive Column”, will be out on April 25th.)
BUTCHERBIRD:
https://butcherbird.bandcamp.com/album/drought-deluge
https://www.facebook.com/butcherbirdband
https://www.instagram.com/butcherbirduk
DROWNING SEA GOD:
https://drowningseagod.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/drowningseagod
https://www.instagram.com/drowningseagod