Seattle’s
Black Breath make their recorded debut on
Sunn 0)))’s mighty Southern Lord imprint with the
Razor to Oblivion EP. This quintet, fronted by N.T. McAdams, in some ways is an odd fit for the metal label; that said, it reveals SL’s good taste. These four tracks are all hardcore punk-inspired -- fast, furious, and brash, with guitars and vocals taking center stage. There is excellent death metal in the mix as well, however, and the meld is utterly seamless. McAdams' lyrics -- check the title track and "Beneath the Crust" -- come straight from the hardcore 1982 mold, while the dual-guitar attack welds together thrash chords and death metal riffs. The end result is a brief but bracing encounter with a powerful young band whose sound is aggressive, angry, and rooted somehow firmly in the present day rather than in the past, despite its seemingly overwhelming influence. This is an excellent debut. Fans of Discharge and
Poison Idea will love this stuff, but so might those who dig
Celtic Frost! ~ Thom Jurek