#thejesuslizard — Public Fediverse posts

The Jesus Lizard - Peel Session 1991

The complete session recorded by The Jesus Lizard on 24 February 1991 for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and broadcast on 17 March 1991.

Tracklist:

1. Wheelchair Epidemic (0:07)
2. Bloody Mary (2:21)
3. Seasick (4:20)
4. Monkey Trick (7:28)

https://vibracobra23.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-jesus-lizard-peel-session-1991.html

#TheJesusLizard #JesusLizard #PeelSessions #OTD

Always surprised when David Yow from #TheJesusLizard shows up in a movie I decided to watch randomly.

A Desert
Directed by Joshua Erkman
2025

#NeoNoir #Horror #Shudder #Movies

Speak to enough musicians in the underground who favor the sonically depraved, and you might hear word of two New Yorkers, who emerge now and then from the doldrums of normal life to unleash their unique brand of sonic chaos upon the unsuspecting masses. I’m talking, of course, about The Austerity Program, the criminally underrated duo of Justin Foley and Thad Calabrese who have delivered some of the greatest noise rock records of the 2000s. Their signature sound of “Big Black meets unhinged mathy industrial” has always been simultaneously entertaining and hideous to behold, but it was 2019’s Bible Songs 1 that took them to another level. The Austerity Program’s songs have always unfolded like twisted fables, but with Bible Songs, their subject matter took on a new gravitas, as the duo rendered the darkest moments of the Old Testament in their sardonic snarl. Bible Songs 1 is a stunning synthesis of literature and music that gives me chills with each listen, so 6 years after the fact, I was a little apprehensive about its sequel being able to live up to my expectations. Bible Songs 2 not only meets them, but exceeds them.

Each song on Bible Songs 2 adapts short Old and New Testament passages, turning some of the Bible’s darkest verses into miniature noise-rock payloads, modernizing the language and maximizing each piece’s impact with deranged noise-rock instrumentation. Foley’s acerbic spoken delivery covers verses about the vicious destruction and suffering of Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege (“Lamentations 4:7—11”), the condemnation of man by God for his failures (“Joshua 7:6—26”), and the ultimate biblical reckoning at the end of days (“Revelation 8:7—13”). Each line is spewed with a sort of sarcastic vitriol that at once recognizes the horror of its subject matter, while also poking fun at its absurdity. Individual lines alternate between exaggerated humor, 1 and cosmic consequence. 2 Through it all, Foley’s personality and keen sense of phrasing contribute to no shortage of incredibly memorable couplets that have stuck with me all year since I first heard them.

Bible Songs 2 by The Austerity Program

Bible Songs 2 features exclusively guitar, bass, and a drum machine, yet The Austerity Program uses this sparse palette to create expansive canvases that both excite and disturb. Calabrese’s bass provides the record’s most recognizable element, a chunky, mid-pushed growl reminiscent of imperial-era Ministry or The Jesus Lizard, forming the backbone of most songs alongside the band’s signature drum machine grooves. That drum machine feels uncanny in its force and precision, functioning less like traditional percussion and more like an inhuman engine driving each track forward. Foley’s guitar operates primarily as a shrill, siren-like effect, recontextualizing riffs, adding rhythmic accents, and pushing the music into the liminal space between noise and composition. These elements converge across six tracks built on hypnotic, repeating rhythms that expand and contract between subdued chaos and total aural devastation. “Judges 19:22—29” and “Luke 3:4—9” exemplify this, but there are also more even-tempered pieces like the bass-led “Joshua 7:6—26,” the slow-build of “Zephaniah 3:1—7,” or the sonic journey of “Lamentations 4:7—11.” This is all in preparation for the closer “Revelation 8:7—13,” whose urgent tremolo riffs, inhuman snare patterns, and final burst of dissonance convincingly soundtrack the end of days. 3

Bible Songs 2 is an absolute triumph of a record. It builds on the immense strengths The Austerity Program has demonstrated in the past and weaponizes their unique brand of unsettling noise rock for a set of timely compositions that showcase just how powerful the combination of music and a fully-realized subject matter can be. It’s one of my favorite records of the year, and I’ll be quoting notable lines and blasting it for years to come.

Tracks to Check Out: “Lamentations 4:7—11,” “Judges 19:22—29,” “Joshua 7:6—26,” “Revelation 8:7—13”

Blessings – Blodsträngen Review

By Owlswald

Originating from the same vibrant scene that has spawned acts ranging from At the Gates to Ace of Base, Gothenburg experimental noise quartet Blessings have been forging their own path within the borders of Sweden’s olde harbor city for thirteen years. Comprised of long-standing veterans of the Swedish scene, Blessings have been worshipping at the altar of turmoil since its 2012 debut, Bittervaten came out waving a Black Flag of loud, Unsanely harsh, in-your-face noise rock. Subsequent years of relentless touring and creative experimentation culminated in the follow-up, Biskopskniven1 which leaned more heavily into rhythmic anchoring, trance-inducing moods, and riffing. With Blodsträngen,2 Blessings is poised to take listeners on an intense, genre-bending journey, venturing into increasingly experimental and unconventional sonic territory.

Blodsträngen blends the grit of punk, the expansiveness of post-rock, and hardcore’s raw aggression into an intensely juxtaposed sound that is dark, abrasive, and dramatic. Guitarist Johan G Winther lays down chunky Mastodon-style motifs (“Copper + Dirt,” “Raised on Graves”), shoegaze melodies (“No Good Things,” “Strings of Red”) and bursts of dissonant chords (“Clean”). Mattias Rasmusson’s booming rock grooves drive moments of Old Man Gloom-like explosiveness, while Erik Skytt’s percussive accents and expressive modular tones—featuring everything from organs, cowbells, and woodblocks to a xylophone—strategically guide listeners through Blodsträngen. Fredrik Karlsson’s powerful voice commands excellent projection, especially during Blodsträngen’s darker verses, alternating between spoken-sung punk vocals reminiscent of The Jesus Lizard or early Killing Joke (“No Good Things,” “Clean”) and throaty, abrasive howls (“Allt Vi Kan Ge Är Upp,” “Strings of Red”). Overall, Blodsträngen sounds massive and confrontational, the instrumentation hitting well above its weight, piercing a bright master that belies its DR score.

Blodsträngen is best experienced as an immersive, uninterrupted ride. Its seven tracks flow seamlessly, shifting moods and textures while progressively intensifying. The record immediately kicks off with its strongest material, showcasing Blessings’ dynamic songwriting and unique sound. “Raised on Graves” quickly establishes its edgy, ominous feel, creating foreboding through Winther’s haunting notes, Karlsson’s growling bass, and Skytt’s tribal accents. Eschewing a predictable crescendo, it cleverly loops back to another verse before diving headfirst into full-blown punk with an insistent tambourine. An isolated cowbell punctuates the track, serving as a stark prelude to “Strings of Red,” which explodes into a hardcore frenzy after spells of tense breaths. Skytt’s suspenseful synth leads and Winther’s aggressive riffing drive the song, which serves as a definitive statement of Blessings’ ability to produce hard-hitting material with intriguing textural elements, despite its meandering finish. Rounding out the album’s robust first third is the ambitious and lengthy “Clean,” one of Blodsträngen’s longest tracks. Highlighted by what might be one of the gnarliest bass tones I’ve heard in ages, Karlsson’s hefty bass line and somber vocal delivery channels a Filter-esque vibe before a devastating breakdown tears through the mix. The song works beautifully once it gains momentum, though its dragging intro and overlong build partially weigh it down.

Blodsträngen starts with incredible momentum and promise, making Blessings’ subsequent struggles to maintain its energy all the more disappointing. While “Allt Vi Kan Ge Är Upp” injects much-needed vigor back into Blodsträngen with its dominant rhythms and exhilarating crescendo, “No Good Things” marks a noticeable dip in energy. The track lacks the compositional ambition of the album’s earlier material, consequently feeling plain as it relies too much on Skytt’s quirky samples and Karlsson’s vocals. “Copper + Dirt” is a short burst of aggressive, riff-driven material that abruptly ends after less than two minutes, a confusing result that feels wholly out of place. Finally, the terrific, harmonized melodies from Winther and Skytt within the first half of “Through Veils of Glass and Silica” suffer, unfortunately, from its excessive length and meandering post-rock sections, which leave Blodsträngen ending on a drawn-out note.

Blessings is a good band, but Blodsträngen is a front-loaded album that left me wishing these Swedes had maintained their peak energy for the entire forty-one minutes. When they’re firing on all cylinders, Blessings crafts unique, powerful, and atmospherically heavy music. Their future success hinges on maintaining their intensity and sharpening their songwriting, steering clear of unnecessary repetition or padding. A great album is potentially waiting in the wings, and Blessings certainly has the talent to deliver. The question is, will they?

Rating: Mixed
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Pelagic Records
Websites: blessingsgbg.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Blessingsgbg
Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

#25 #2025 #Aug25 #BlackFlag #Blessings #Blodsträngen #ExperimentalMetal #Filter #KillingJoke #Mastodon #Noise #NoiseRock #OldManGloom #PelagicRecords #PostRock #postPunk #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #TheJesusLizard #Unsane

The Jesus Lizard release new standalone single today: Westside

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xbQ0mkJ8Kg&ab_channel=IpecacRecordings

#TheJesusLizard
#ipecac

The Jesus Lizard – GOAT (1991, US)

[This guest post was written by @Defiance about number 429 on The List. The album was submitted by platenworm.]

Another Steve Albini-produced classic. And perhaps the best album by this American noise rock/post-hardcore band. It’s fitting that the album title is also an acronym for Greatest Of All Time.

I was already a fan of Scratch Acid, the predecessor band. My best friend turned me onto them in high school.

So when I was in college and just starting to DJ, I was eager to play their new stuff. I can still remember getting the band’s first 7” in the station’s “new bin”, 1989’s “Chrome b/w 7 or 8”. The following year the band released their first LP, 1990’s Head. I liked that album and played it regularly.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, their second full length album. But GOAT is a step up in every way. 

The bass grooves are unlike their prior albums. They’re more…groovy! Probably why this is my favorite album from the band. It’s more accessible, but still raw and driven by David Yow’s intense and almost indecipherable yelling. The Jesus Lizard was one of the first bands of this era and genre that increasingly focused on dynamic hooks, and GOAT really delivers in this regard.

The album opens with “Then Comes Dudley”, which features the classic Jesus Lizard / Scratch Acid sound. Dark, loud, and relentless. The crunchy snare drum and driving bass guitar have that distinct Albini sound.

The pace really picks up with track 2, my favorite, “Mouth Breather”, and then hits a new peak with the slide guitar driven song “Nub”. The rest of the tracks are a mix of dynamic tempos and dark, sometimes droning noise and rhythms over which singer David Yow wails and moans. It’s almost as if The Birthday Party had released another album in 1991. 

An interesting side note is that the picture on the album cover can be easily misinterpreted. At first glance, it looks like an orange flame on black background. I thought this the case for years. But it’s actually a topless woman with a close-up image of nails projected onto her body. 

By the way, The Jesus Lizard still makes good music to this day. Earlier this year (2024), they released another great album, Rack. 

Play GOAT at high volume! 

– Defiance!

• Bandcamp: The Jesus Lizard – GOAT
• Discogs: The Jesus Lizard – GOAT

#1001OtherAlbums #1990s #JesusLizard #posthardcore #postpunk #rock #ScratchAcid #SteveAlbini #TheJesusLizard

Recensie: The Jesus Lizard – Rack ★★★★
https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/the-jesus-lizard-rack/

#Music #Rock #TheJesusLizard #Ipecac #Bertus

Recensie: The Jesus Lizard – Rack ★★★★
https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/the-jesus-lizard-rack/

#Music #Rock #TheJesusLizard #Ipecac #Bertus

Recensie: The Jesus Lizard – Rack ★★★★
https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/the-jesus-lizard-rack/

#Music #Rock #TheJesusLizard #Ipecac #Bertus

Recensie: The Jesus Lizard – Rack ★★★★
https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/the-jesus-lizard-rack/

#Music #Rock #TheJesusLizard #Ipecac #Bertus

Recensie: The Jesus Lizard – Rack ★★★★
https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/the-jesus-lizard-rack/

#Music #Rock #TheJesusLizard #Ipecac #Bertus

Recorded #OnThisDay 32 years ago:

The Jesus Lizard - Peel Session 1992

The complete session recorded by The Jesus Lizard on 27 September 1992 for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and broadcast on 30 October 1992.

Tracklist:

1. Gladiator (0:48)
2. Whirl (5:17)
3. Puss (11:53)
4. Boiler Maker (15:45)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=369RX-bNXiE

#TheJesusLizard #JesusLizard #PeelSessions #OTD

The middle-aged boyz are back in town and they still rock like senile idiots.....great!
#TheJesusLizard – Rack cd on #IpecacRecordings 2024

http://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack

The middle-aged boyz are back in town and they still rock like senile idiots.....great!
#TheJesusLizard – Rack cd on #IpecacRecordings 2024

http://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack

The middle-aged boyz are back in town and they still rock like senile idiots.....great!
#TheJesusLizard – Rack cd on #IpecacRecordings 2024

http://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#Loudwire
The New Rock + Metal Albums Out Today
Your 2024 hard rock and metal album release calendar, including the new albums out

https://loudwire.com/2024-hard-rock-metal-album-release-calendar/

#Oceano #Crobot #TheDamned #FlotsamAndJetsam #Gwar #TheJesusLizard #Satan #Winterfylleth

“Music? Horrible.” The Jesus Lizard's David Yow’s Favourite Records

https://thequietus.com/interviews/bakers-dozen/music-horrible-david-yows-favourite-records/

#music #TheJesusLizard #DavidYow

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Chicago Named A Street After STEVE ALBINI
Steve Albini forever.

https://metalinjection.net/news/chicago-named-a-street-after-steve-albini

#SteveAlbini #Chicago #SteveAlbiniWay #ElectricalAudio #Nirvana #Pixies #Neurosis #Om #SunnO #Weedeater #TheJesusLizard #Helmet #Jawbreaker #Shellac #BigBlack #TouchAndGoRecords

#Upcoming In a blast of splinters and mayhem, #TheJesusLizard have busted loose with their first album in 26 years! Available on vinyl, cassette, and CD via #IpecacRecordings, September 13th. https://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack-out-sept-13th-2024

#Upcoming In a blast of splinters and mayhem, #TheJesusLizard have busted loose with their first album in 26 years! Available on vinyl, cassette, and CD via #IpecacRecordings, September 13th. https://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack-out-sept-13th-2024

#Upcoming In a blast of splinters and mayhem, #TheJesusLizard have busted loose with their first album in 26 years! Available on vinyl, cassette, and CD via #IpecacRecordings, September 13th. https://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack-out-sept-13th-2024

#Upcoming In a blast of splinters and mayhem, #TheJesusLizard have busted loose with their first album in 26 years! Available on vinyl, cassette, and CD via #IpecacRecordings, September 13th. https://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack-out-sept-13th-2024

#Upcoming In a blast of splinters and mayhem, #TheJesusLizard have busted loose with their first album in 26 years! Available on vinyl, cassette, and CD via #IpecacRecordings, September 13th. https://thejesuslizard.bandcamp.com/album/rack-out-sept-13th-2024

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
STEVE ALBINI Dead At 61 Years Old
Rest in peace to a legend.

https://metalinjection.net/news/steve-albini-dead-at-61-years-old

#SteveAlbini #LegendaryProducer #Nirvana #InUtero #Pixies #SurferRosa #ElectronicAudio #RecordingStudio #Neurosis #Om #SunnO #Weedeater #TheJesusLizard #Helmet #Jawbreaker #Shellac #ToAllTrains #BigBlack #RIP

Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

If you’ve been following the modern grindcore scene in any fashion over the past fifteen years, then you’ve at least heard of Maryland’s high-output, low-trend grindmongers Full of Hell. Collaborating or splitting space with everyone from tough punks Code Orange1 to Japanese static spinner Merzbow to pneumatic pulse demons The Body, Full of Hell scrapes ideas from every corner in the extreme music space to fuel the iterative process of the twenty to thirty-minute burners that are their “full-length” releases. In the truest sense, this eclectic and thirsty act follows the crack of their own whip, but when it comes to the stage that bears only Full of Hell in title, the path steers a touch more straightforward, though not quite predictable. Nevertheless, with the dial cranked to grind and a color palette that screams anti-monochromatic, does Coagulated Bliss amass all the right parts?

In many ways Coagulated Bliss is the Full of Hell we’ve come to expect, its bleeding extremities of punch-and-cackle powerviolence (“Doors to Mental Agony”), playful industrial deathgrind (“Fractured Bonds to Mecca”), drag ’em bleeding sludge (“Bleeding Horizon”), and unshackled grindcore (“Vomiting Glass”) congealing into a boisterous sonic injection. However, much like higher-treble back half of 2021’s Garden of Burning Apparitions and the whole of 2022’s Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound continued, Full of Hell has adopted a stronger penchant for groove and noise rock-infused, treble-loaded licks. No, Full of Hell does not suddenly sound like Melvins or The Jesus Lizard, but this incorporation of twangy, tasty tunes does help them come across more like the barking, manic side of Today Is the Day on a mystery bag of pills with one labeled ‘grindcore’ (“Coagulated Bliss,” “Gelding of Man”).2 And though the average BPM may render a bit lower than the most aggressive Full of Hell releases, but that doesn’t stop them from sneaking in a Discordance Axis riff or six.

A shift like this requires smart songwriting and a production job highlighting the force of new convictions. Freed from the chains of Kurt Ballou’s (Converge) hammering soundboard touch, both the growling lows and warm, twisting highs find new space to hook with vicious intent (“Half Life of Changelings,” “Coagulated Bliss”), ironically in the manner similar to 00s Converge classics like Jane Doe or Axe to Fall. And though Dave Bland’s (Jarhead Fertilizer) kit has remained reliably savage throughout Full of Hell’s catalog, booming industrial reverb cranks the assault of the most martial tracks (“Doors to Mental Agony,” “Fractured Bonds to Mecca,” “Gelding of Men”), and the traditionally speedy numbers, murderous cymbal crashes lay littered with interjecting tom scatters and cymbal drives that drill the ears with loving precision. Whether Full of Hell is channeling Thou (“Bleeding Horizon”) or Terrorizer (“Gasping Dust”), the space and pace of each moment feels natural in its intensity, a stark contrast to the oppressive landscape in which this band has previously existed.

However more approachable it may seem, Coagulated Bliss isn’t a turn toward the accessible. If anything, this breezier distillation of Dylan Walker’s paint-stripping shrieks and gutter punk tongue-lashing puts his inimitable incantations3 at the forefront in a frighteningly catchy way. With rhythms to which you could reasonably twerk, 4 it’s easier than ever to pick up a lyrics sheet and at least try to croak (inadvisably) along to the hypnotic swing of “Doors to Mental Agony” or provide the demonic guttural accompaniment to “Schizoid Rupture.” At first, this did make Ross Dolan’s (Immolation) punchy verse contribution on “Gasping Dust” and Jacob Bannon’s (Converge) goblin garble on “Malformed Ligature” feel like slightly lesser cuts. But with time and repeat exposure, the resplendence that Full of Hell can find in this soured worldview pours through these late-album swings all the same.

As a long-time enjoyer of Full of Hell, I’ve always hoped to come across one of their records that could feel like an ‘any day’ kind of jam. These contemporary torchbearers have always seemed to scoff at the notion though, with each of their efforts brimming and bursting with a talent so raw and crushing that the zig-zag experience would come across as impressive rather than attachable. Expansive in soundscape, focused in its weird expression, and reliable in foothold to the grind, Coagulated Bliss feeds a shredded, rocking, great time effortlessly.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Closed Casket Activities | Bandcamp
Website: fullofhell.com | fullofhell.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/fullofhell
Releases Worldwide: April 26th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #ClosedCasketActivities #CoagulatedBliss #Converge #Deathgrind #DiscordanceAxis #FullOfHell #Grind #Grindcore #IndustrialDeathgrind #JarheadFertilizer #Melvins #NoiseRock #Review #Reviews #Sludge #Terrorizer #TheBody #TheJesusLizard #TheMelvins #Thou #TodayIsTheDay #Turian

Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

If you’ve been following the modern grindcore scene in any fashion over the past fifteen years, then you’ve at least heard of Maryland’s high-output, low-trend grindmongers Full of Hell. Collaborating or splitting space with everyone from tough punks Code Orange1 to Japanese static spinner Merzbow to pneumatic pulse demons The Body, Full of Hell scrapes ideas from every corner in the extreme music space to fuel the iterative process of the twenty to thirty-minute burners that are their “full-length” releases. In the truest sense, this eclectic and thirsty act follows the crack of their own whip, but when it comes to the stage that bears only Full of Hell in title, the path steers a touch more straightforward, though not quite predictable. Nevertheless, with the dial cranked to grind and a color palette that screams anti-monochromatic, does Coagulated Bliss amass all the right parts?

In many ways Coagulated Bliss is the Full of Hell we’ve come to expect, its bleeding extremities of punch-and-cackle powerviolence (“Doors to Mental Agony”), playful industrial deathgrind (“Fractured Bonds to Mecca”), drag ’em bleeding sludge (“Bleeding Horizon”), and unshackled grindcore (“Vomiting Glass”) congealing into a boisterous sonic injection. However, much like higher-treble back half of 2021’s Garden of Burning Apparitions and the whole of 2022’s Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound continued, Full of Hell has adopted a stronger penchant for groove and noise rock-infused, treble-loaded licks. No, Full of Hell does not suddenly sound like Melvins or The Jesus Lizard, but this incorporation of twangy, tasty tunes does help them come across more like the barking, manic side of Today Is the Day on a mystery bag of pills with one labeled ‘grindcore’ (“Coagulated Bliss,” “Gelding of Man”).2 And though the average BPM may render a bit lower than the most aggressive Full of Hell releases, but that doesn’t stop them from sneaking in a Discordance Axis riff or six.

A shift like this requires smart songwriting and a production job highlighting the force of new convictions. Freed from the chains of Kurt Ballou’s (Converge) hammering soundboard touch, both the growling lows and warm, twisting highs find new space to hook with vicious intent (“Half Life of Changelings,” “Coagulated Bliss”), ironically in the manner similar to 00s Converge classics like Jane Doe or Axe to Fall. And though Dave Bland’s (Jarhead Fertilizer) kit has remained reliably savage throughout Full of Hell’s catalog, booming industrial reverb cranks the assault of the most martial tracks (“Doors to Mental Agony,” “Fractured Bonds to Mecca,” “Gelding of Men”), and the traditionally speedy numbers, murderous cymbal crashes lay littered with interjecting tom scatters and cymbal drives that drill the ears with loving precision. Whether Full of Hell is channeling Thou (“Bleeding Horizon”) or Terrorizer (“Gasping Dust”), the space and pace of each moment feels natural in its intensity, a stark contrast to the oppressive landscape in which this band has previously existed.

However more approachable it may seem, Coagulated Bliss isn’t a turn toward the accessible. If anything, this breezier distillation of Dylan Walker’s paint-stripping shrieks and gutter punk tongue-lashing puts his inimitable incantations3 at the forefront in a frighteningly catchy way. With rhythms to which you could reasonably twerk, 4 it’s easier than ever to pick up a lyrics sheet and at least try to croak (inadvisably) along to the hypnotic swing of “Doors to Mental Agony” or provide the demonic guttural accompaniment to “Schizoid Rupture.” At first, this did make Ross Dolan’s (Immolation) punchy verse contribution on “Gasping Dust” and Jacob Bannon’s (Converge) goblin garble on “Malformed Ligature” feel like slightly lesser cuts. But with time and repeat exposure, the resplendence that Full of Hell can find in this soured worldview pours through these late-album swings all the same.

As a long-time enjoyer of Full of Hell, I’ve always hoped to come across one of their records that could feel like an ‘any day’ kind of jam. These contemporary torchbearers have always seemed to scoff at the notion though, with each of their efforts brimming and bursting with a talent so raw and crushing that the zig-zag experience would come across as impressive rather than attachable. Expansive in soundscape, focused in its weird expression, and reliable in foothold to the grind, Coagulated Bliss feeds a shredded, rocking, great time effortlessly.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Closed Casket Activities | Bandcamp
Website: fullofhell.com | fullofhell.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/fullofhell
Releases Worldwide: April 26th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #ClosedCasketActivities #CoagulatedBliss #Converge #Deathgrind #DiscordanceAxis #FullOfHell #Grind #Grindcore #IndustrialDeathgrind #JarheadFertilizer #Melvins #NoiseRock #Review #Reviews #Sludge #Terrorizer #TheBody #TheJesusLizard #TheMelvins #Thou #TodayIsTheDay #Turian

Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

If you’ve been following the modern grindcore scene in any fashion over the past fifteen years, then you’ve at least heard of Maryland’s high-output, low-trend grindmongers Full of Hell. Collaborating or splitting space with everyone from tough punks Code Orange1 to Japanese static spinner Merzbow to pneumatic pulse demons The Body, Full of Hell scrapes ideas from every corner in the extreme music space to fuel the iterative process of the twenty to thirty-minute burners that are their “full-length” releases. In the truest sense, this eclectic and thirsty act follows the crack of their own whip, but when it comes to the stage that bears only Full of Hell in title, the path steers a touch more straightforward, though not quite predictable. Nevertheless, with the dial cranked to grind and a color palette that screams anti-monochromatic, does Coagulated Bliss amass all the right parts?

In many ways Coagulated Bliss is the Full of Hell we’ve come to expect, its bleeding extremities of punch-and-cackle powerviolence (“Doors to Mental Agony”), playful industrial deathgrind (“Fractured Bonds to Mecca”), drag ’em bleeding sludge (“Bleeding Horizon”), and unshackled grindcore (“Vomiting Glass”) congealing into a boisterous sonic injection. However, much like higher-treble back half of 2021’s Garden of Burning Apparitions and the whole of 2022’s Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound continued, Full of Hell has adopted a stronger penchant for groove and noise rock-infused, treble-loaded licks. No, Full of Hell does not suddenly sound like Melvins or The Jesus Lizard, but this incorporation of twangy, tasty tunes does help them come across more like the barking, manic side of Today Is the Day on a mystery bag of pills with one labeled ‘grindcore’ (“Coagulated Bliss,” “Gelding of Man”).2 And though the average BPM may render a bit lower than the most aggressive Full of Hell releases, but that doesn’t stop them from sneaking in a Discordance Axis riff or six.

A shift like this requires smart songwriting and a production job highlighting the force of new convictions. Freed from the chains of Kurt Ballou’s (Converge) hammering soundboard touch, both the growling lows and warm, twisting highs find new space to hook with vicious intent (“Half Life of Changelings,” “Coagulated Bliss”), ironically in the manner similar to 00s Converge classics like Jane Doe or Axe to Fall. And though Dave Bland’s (Jarhead Fertilizer) kit has remained reliably savage throughout Full of Hell’s catalog, booming industrial reverb cranks the assault of the most martial tracks (“Doors to Mental Agony,” “Fractured Bonds to Mecca,” “Gelding of Men”), and the traditionally speedy numbers, murderous cymbal crashes lay littered with interjecting tom scatters and cymbal drives that drill the ears with loving precision. Whether Full of Hell is channeling Thou (“Bleeding Horizon”) or Terrorizer (“Gasping Dust”), the space and pace of each moment feels natural in its intensity, a stark contrast to the oppressive landscape in which this band has previously existed.

However more approachable it may seem, Coagulated Bliss isn’t a turn toward the accessible. If anything, this breezier distillation of Dylan Walker’s paint-stripping shrieks and gutter punk tongue-lashing puts his inimitable incantations3 at the forefront in a frighteningly catchy way. With rhythms to which you could reasonably twerk, 4 it’s easier than ever to pick up a lyrics sheet and at least try to croak (inadvisably) along to the hypnotic swing of “Doors to Mental Agony” or provide the demonic guttural accompaniment to “Schizoid Rupture.” At first, this did make Ross Dolan’s (Immolation) punchy verse contribution on “Gasping Dust” and Jacob Bannon’s (Converge) goblin garble on “Malformed Ligature” feel like slightly lesser cuts. But with time and repeat exposure, the resplendence that Full of Hell can find in this soured worldview pours through these late-album swings all the same.

As a long-time enjoyer of Full of Hell, I’ve always hoped to come across one of their records that could feel like an ‘any day’ kind of jam. These contemporary torchbearers have always seemed to scoff at the notion though, with each of their efforts brimming and bursting with a talent so raw and crushing that the zig-zag experience would come across as impressive rather than attachable. Expansive in soundscape, focused in its weird expression, and reliable in foothold to the grind, Coagulated Bliss feeds a shredded, rocking, great time effortlessly.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Closed Casket Activities | Bandcamp
Website: fullofhell.com | fullofhell.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/fullofhell
Releases Worldwide: April 26th, 2024

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