BULLETBELT REVIEWS: Hooks and Bones(Crossover), Lost to Life(Metallic Hardcore), Kishi(stoner/rock/doom), My Own Fear(Death Metal) and Bract(Industrial Doom)

 

BULLETBELT REVIEWS: Hooks and Bones(Crossover), Lost to Life(Metallic Hardcore), Kishi(stoner/rock/doom), My Own Fear(Death Metal) and Bract(Industrial Doom)

Bulletbelt reviews are a throwback to when hardcore zines cut the bullshit and gave you unfiltered, concise reviews with all the facts you need. Enjoy!. 

As always we have some superb releases of mixed genres that are designed to blow your speakers. These are straight-to-the-point reviews that assist you in buying the release and getting you new tunes!!!

Hooks and Bones- Time of Reckoning.

Hooks and Bones are a dynamic French crossover, hardcore thrash unit that is very similar to Municipal Waste/S.O.D. etc. This isn't anything amazingly new, but that's cool, as the main aim is total party music with biting riffs. They achieve this perfectly on every track as well as a solid Kickback cover this is 8 tracks of fast hardcore with bite. Highly recommended and moshtastic!!. Total party anthems from start to end.

https://emergencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/time-of-reckoning


Lost to Life-Fear Tactics.

Fresh to 1054 records all the way from the mighty Irish city of Dublin are these hardcore killers, Lost to Life. This shit is hard as fuck Metallic Hardcore, that really hits the spot. This EP is quality and shows excellent songwriting, attitude and fierce riffs and angry-as-hell vocals. Also has some beatdown touches that I dig, the breakdowns are hectic and I really wanna hear a full album of this psycho style. A band to watch out for!!!.


Kishi-Khaos.
This crazed mixed genre band is from Angola, now that's something you don't hear that often. They have been around since 2017 and this EP certainly showcases their variety of styles. One minute it's super doomy, then stoner rock and others dip into almost death metal or death n roll. That is a two-edged sword, the more hectic stuff hit my ears better and the melodic vocals less so. Friends I played it to either loved the wild variety or didn't gel with it. I think this would be a great live band as the riffs are solid as is the songwriting; but the band needs to find their genre, or pick at least two out of five repped here. That said this is a band worth sussing out as half to three-quarters of the release RIPS hard. Nothing bad about the band, just needs some refining; but I believe come album time they will find this easily, as they have so much talent. Riff City!!!. 


My Own Fear-Violence Made History.

This is another French gem, with chunky riffs and sitting between Death Metal and Hardcore, this is my shit. The French have an excellent ear and knack for producing tremendous extreme music. The album is gripping and well thought out, and to be honest a very solid debut album. The full release is full of multiple highlights, and has some cool melodic/acoustic touches and this is balanced out by gut-punching aggression as evidenced in tracks like Hell Fire Club,  Dux Bellorum and many others. The music vocally is super deep in the Death Metal field but has clever Thrash Metal influences and severe hardcore underpinning. The production is punchy and attention-seeking and crushingly pleasant to my ears. The album tracks efficiently well, but the highlight is the last three tracks; making up Era of the Rats parts 1-3. 
These tracks highlight the virtuoso skills of this band, whilst they could do many styles well, they stick with what works best; brutality with technical delivery. The whole album would be sensational live. Dug this album so much. Support this band hard.



Bract-Erosion.

Yes, I absolutely saved the best until last, because noise/industrial and basically extreme music/art that really pushes the boundaries is my true base/love. Not sure how I discovered this, but these 4 tracks are glorious, harsh torturous soundscapes that ring true. Is it metal, avante-garde noise or spread-out boundaries of industrial-styled doom???. Who cares it's abrasively caressing, harsh and beautiful. Erosion is four tracks of crushing, forceful and compelling industrial doom from Sydney. And it is hefty and grisly, yet meaty chunks of heavy noise with forbidding confidence. The vocals are very screamy and somewhat black metal style, but they work well throughout. The robotic drums are harshly dancey and unrelenting, but along with various noises, this is one apocalyptic masterpiece. The riffs are super punishing and both in sync with all the noise and hellscapey static. Sometimes music should be punishing, cathartic and feel like it strips your soul; thus all worthy people should worship this band. I adore this release and my band will sell their souls to play with this band. Brilliant, crushing and awesome.















Comments