Ringworm-Seeing Through Fire album review and killer interview with James(Human Furnace).

 

Ringworm-Seeing Through Fire album review and killer interview with James(Human Furnace). 

It is always a killer year when a new Ringworm album drops and these 11 tracks will absolutely rip you a new one as expected. Nil weird genre changes, but pleasantly a more forceful raw and intense, live-like production and honestly the best solos you have heard in extreme metal. The metallic hardcore thrash crossover is not diluted one fucking iota and we are glad for that. This is a hugely dynamic, in-your-face classic with all the Ringworm characteristics we love. Prepare to get your face ripped off on this banger of an album.

The title track is mostly instrumental with duelling guitars seemingly in a war against each other and this is a cool preview of the sheer dominance of guitars on this release. Then the hellish screams kick in and you know this is the ill-tempered and glorious work of Ringworm. There are many things to love about this band; the sheer rage, the insane vocals, and the lovely twists and turns of every record. If you look at the front cover, you know you are in for a battering. Carved In Stone has wild war-like drums that are a standout and the solid riffs hold your attention as much as the maddened vocals. Some of the guitarwork has cool throwbacks to early Sepultura and even some Municipal Waste, plus added riffy cheese chunks for good measure. 

No Solace, No Quarter No Mercy is a standard Ringworm moshing classic-tense, crushing and staggeringly heavy. This is as much for the headbangers as the moshpit kickboxers, just completely full of catchy riffs. And also has a deep-toned breakdown with a barbaric solo and an unrepenting ending. Death Hoax is a track that pushes the accelerator even more than the last track, it had some sick tempo changes across the song and particularly in the sensational middle portion and then Daniel from the legendary Voivod drops a resplendent and dirty thrashy solo to lift the song to the heavens. The solo works so well and indicates how the band utilise so many extreme genres so thoroughly. This is one of the many album highlights.

(previous image and next-splendid tattoo flash art is by James of Ringworm)

Thought Crimes is the next aggressive classic that smothers you in vitriol and venomous groove, whilst kicking your front teeth out on first listen. Then we have a quite spacey solo that is prickly and wild as fuck. The live production works well here as you feel like the band is in your damn headphones. 
The next four tracks are deranged and pacey and punishing. Unavoidable Truth, House of Flies, You Want It To and Mental Decontrol have similar elements but are all quite different tracks. Now as James talks about in the interview these crucial percentages of genres-be it hardcore, thrash, grindcore or death metal make the Ringworm flavour and this album has these percentages in all the best portions. There are very intelligent tempo changes, raging vocals, very strong and high-in-the-mix guitars and dominating drums. Each track has quirky twists and turns, and there is no huge reinvention of extreme music, but each album Ringworm makes their albums absolutely a necessity by that delirious and forced aggression. Plus this album has so many god-tier solos on most tracks. I mean just try to pick your fave solo, I have listened to this album over ten times and there is no way I can even work out a top two of the blazing riff orgies on this album. The other cool thing for the listener is the throwbacks to all their previous albums, even though I firmly believe this is one of their best-ever albums, if not the best. 

The two album closing tracks are very cool points of difference in utterly parallel fashions. Power and Blood has an intense build-up, and even some almost NWOBM meets Slayer solo in the middle that I adored. Again variety and aggression make this band one of the best. And some of James' most crushing vocals as a bonus. The closer Playing God is the opposite of most of what this band has done and it has grim spoken words that drift into an entrancing almost early Metallica style of melodic thrash that has the grimness that a solid outro should have. This track closes the album out in an excellent way.



For a steadfast band that has a super solid catalogue, this album is a highlight of Ringworm's consistent work and really amplifies the hard graft of a band that really enjoys what they do. We all know their style or rather their dazzling array of styles, but unlike bands we truly love such as Hatebreed, Motorhead etc they refuse to keep making the same album over and over again. And you the listener are the recipient of this prize. Thanks, Ringworm, Seeing Through Fire is one of the best albums of this year and also the band's finest moment.




Out now:


Get antisocial with these legends:



Now for a brilliant interview with Sir Human Furnace himself, the chilled and the super talented James Bulloch-killer vocalist (and guitarist in Gluttons(who are sick!), artist and tattoo artist as well as many other crafts as revealed in our scintillating interview. Kudos to Mindsnare and Dropsaw for providing some confrontingly entertaining questions for this great maniac. As I often say, I love quality conversations with artists who are free of bullshit, are down to earth and passionate as fuck about their craft. Thank you, James, support his bands and craft solidly please, this dude is one of the real ones.

We spoke about:
-How the production of this impressive release is very dynamic, raw and dirty
-The incredible mix of styles that make up the Ringworm sound and how it works particularly well on Seeing Through Fire

-How and also how amazing the Voivod guitarist added a sizzling solo to a track, one that was unconventional and also how astonishing Voivod are as a groundbreaking and influential band

-The marvellous cover art James designed for this release, its process and the need for a colourful, striking and quite Death Metal-like style on this album
-Some of Jame's fave tracks on this release
-Some quick rapid fire bangers questions revealing:


-Early John Wayne Gacy creep-out makeup stylings

-James' impressive Creature of the Black Lagoon collection including a pinball machine and watching the movie with the actor who played the creature

-Using ice cream as a kind way to apologise to those on a tour

-Meeting Ronnie James Dio (this is an extraordinary story for the ages)



(Proof of James meeting the metal god himself!)

Also:
-How astounding Killing Joke is and meeting Jaz Coleman


-The phenomenal legacy of Ringworm and the band's joy in making music they love
-How sick the Mindsnare and Dropsaw legends are!


-(VERY IMPORTANTLY) potential strong plans for the band to return to Australia for a fourth time(FUCK YES!)

And much more:
Enjoy:


(and as videos are much longer-tech wise we are launching our YouTube channel with this killer interview (we will add more videos shortly including our Napalm Death and Wormrot interviews.)

AS ALWAYS SUPPORT THE ARTISTS, AND THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT US.

PASSION, NOT FASHION.




















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