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| reviews - fluke
Scald (NI) | "Fluke" So the worm has turned. Two albums down the line since they went all longform headfuck, Belfast’s most unsparing trio have come full circle, reprising the punk inspired, Voivod influenced, alien grindcrust that made them so essential in the first place. Reinvigorating is hardly the word: this is as heavy, brutal and charismatic as it comes. Scald are not your average band, and even less so in Irish terms. Unlike many stragglers their age, they have been consistently relevant since day one (in the Jurassic somewhere) and have always produced quality in anything they’ve set their hands to. Quite aside from their genetic mutations these last ten years, age has brought them surety in their convictions. Where other bands claim darkness and an evil intention, Scald beat the lot, violating the very Eucharist for this album’s generous packaging. That’s never been done before: not by a million other bands, high profile and low, who’d consider themselves antichristian. Would your band? Of course you wouldn’t. The reason is that you wouldn’t have even thought of it, let alone actually done it. And that’s what has always set Scald apart – the ability to envision and then execute. This band are not raking over old leaves by returning to the straight up crust of their past. Rather these five tracks, spearheaded by the hammering morse code of ‘Larva’, ram home the point that they do what they want, when they want, how they want. It’s all fantastic. An obvious highlight is found in ‘Lumbricoid’, with its hardcore punk thrust made unique by Pete Dempsey’s high pitch bark and newfound honest bellow. The lyrics as well betray this bands much understated intelligence, and taken whole, this cd blows away almost everything going on Irish soil today. With its experience, it’s deeply satisfying grind and its amazing, deep rooted combination of the honest and the surreal, ‘Fluke’ could well come to surmise everything Scald are: and we thought ‘Born With Teeth’ did that. Ten years on, they’ve reprised it. How worth the wait it’s been. Even the most promising of our young bands - and there are a handful - must bow before this stuff. Listen and learn. Buy or die. 4.8 / 5 - Ciaran Tracey ::: 01/01/08 +++
Lienee selvä, että Fluke vaatii kunnolla kolahtaakseen melkoisen laajaa musiikkimakua, tai sitten suoranaista välinpitämättömyyttä levyn jompaa kumpaa puoliskoa kohtaan. Alkupuolen oma hybridinsä muistuttaa lauluiltaan ja biiseiltään oikeastaan perinteistä grindiä, sillä riffit ovat yksinkertaisia, soitto vihaista ja laulu pirullisen aggressiivista. Ainoa grindille ominainen puute on nopea tempo ja sen myötä löytyvä kiukku. Yhtä kaikki, tulos muistuttaa kuin laiskaa Napalm Deathia, eikä lainkaan huonossa mielessä. Toinen puolisko vaihtaakin sitten kuviot täysin toisenlaiseksi ja päätyy surisemaan puhesamplejen kera yksinkertaiseen indusäyviseen ambient-äänimaisemaan. Minimalistinen surinamatto ei ole ainakaan meikäpojan kirjoissa sieltä parhaasta päästä, ja biisi käy varsin äkkiä tylsäksi ja läpikuullun oloiseksi. En tiedä onko puhesample tässä mielessä enemmän rasite vai ei, mutta silti puolet levystä tuntuu menevän hukkaan, sillä kiekon aggressiivisempi ja metallisempi puoli vie tekeleestä kevysti voiton. Ambient-osaston soundimaisemaa on tavallaan hankala luonnehtia hyväksi tai huonoksi, sillä metallia enemmän tässä painavat enemmän kuuntelijan mieltymykset. Allekirjoittanutta jälki ei erityisemmin säväyttänyt, mutta onneksi alun metallisempi anti paiskii turpaan senkin edestä. Niin bassot, rummut kuin kireä laulutyökin on hyvää jälkeä, ja pakettina hatunnoston arvoinen. Julkaisuna taasen Fluke ei kunnolla iske. Alkupuolella on hetkensä, minkä sitten jälkipuolisko jollain tasolla jopa vesittää. Ei yrityksenä lainkaan paskempi, mutta onnistumisasteikolla ollaan enemmänkin hutilyöntien osastolla. 6.5 Serpent, 09.01.2008 +++ I don’t remember ever to have contacted Scald for their demo material, but nevertheless I’m still surprised and happy for what they have sent to me. But before writing a few words on the music itself I would like to introduce you to this unit. Sclad is in other words a metal combo from Ireland. What we have here is their new MCD featuring 6 tracks containing more than 40 minutes shrouded with a special 6 panel digifolder (which I didn’t receive this time?!). The music is still the most important part for me, so I was exited to hear what kind of music these fellows are producing. It is much about religion, or should I say against religion and esp. Catholicism. The genre they are performing is what I would describe as doom metal with some thrashing and experimental sounds but still even with some grindcore elements that are so close to the past of Scald. Fluke is the title of this MCD released through Irish Vermitronic Systems/Midhir Records. It is somehow sharp and filthy, yet it is deep, apocalyptic and long. The last song entitled “Passera” is more than 25 minutes long serving as real ambient noise creating this doomish and atmospheric masterpiece. Lyrically speaking it is still all about the greed and the manipulation of the Catholic Church and it feels honest and straight-ahead. These guys know for sure what they are talking about as we all know this religion has its stronghold in Ireland. Another important feature about this release is the fact that the video and audio track for “Larva” (album opener) can be downloaded from http://www.fluke.me.uk Any grinding, blackish, thrashy and esp. doom metal fan in the world should check this out as it sure has its fine and appealing moments. Pre-order now Fluke from http://www.vermitronic.me.uk and also from http://midhirrecords.com 74/100 Bato |
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