New Spins: 17th August 2020

Another new spins today, three more records I have been enjoying immensely of late.

Spire - Entropy

This record is actually four years old, being released back in 2016, but until recently I wasn't aware of this Australian duo. I was introduced to them by the drummer in my band who thought they would be to my taste, and right he was. They fuse modern atmospheric black metal, slow droning funeral doom, and some noise and ambient parts which really bring the whole thing together. It's a quite bewitching listen, completely consuming and one to really delve deep into the mire with.

The band recently put out their follow up 'Temple of Khronos', which I haven't yet listened to but by all accounts is a quite remarkable album and even better than 'Entropy'. It's on the list and I'm looking to giving it a spin very soon.

Trash Talk - Squalor

Trash Talk were such a game changing band back in the day, and I had the pleasure of being a fan from relatively early on in their career. I saw them play a surprise support slot for Your Demise at The Twist (now sadly defunct) in Colchester, in I think 2009. They blew everyone away, their raw energy and aggression was simply mind blowing, and such a contrast to the fashion show hardcore had started to become in the UK. I saw them maybe 5 or 6 more times over the next few years. Each time the stage got bigger, but their shows felt just as intimately lawless as that first show.

The last couple of records they released were a little disappointing and I didn't hear much from them for a few years, but now they are back with this new EP, and it's utterly brilliant. Mixed in with a few hip-hop interludes from Kenny Beats, this feels like the most vital collection of songs Trash Talk have released in years. It's awesome to see them back and as focused and passionate as they have ever been.

Full of Hell - FOH Noise Vol. 5 / Full of Health / Language of Molting Cherubs

Full of Hell have really established themselves as an entirely new beast in extreme metal, blurring so many lines it's hard to tell where they came from and almost impossible to predict what they might do next. They've put out three new pieces in the last couple of months, most recently a collection of harsh noise tracks, but prior to this a new track of their own 'Language of Molten Cherubs' (that title!!) which is what you might expect from Full of Hell in that it's an entirely unpredictable fusion of grindcore, sludge and noise.

They also put out a fabulous collaboration track with the masters of modern noise rock Health, and it might just be one of the weirdest and most outstanding things to come from Full of Hell ever. In less than two and a half minutes these two artists completely reconfigure each others music in a way it was hard to quite imagine. I'd not listened to Health for a little while, but hearing this was an instant reminder of just how fantastic they are, and a reaffirmation for me that Full of Hell are the leading light in experimental extreme music.