Monday 26 January 2015

Siege Mentality - Arrest Days (Album Review)



Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 12/12/2014
Label: Witch Hunter Records

‘Arrest Days’ Cassette/DD track Listing:

1. Intro [01:16]
2. Episode 2 [02:00]
3. Dying Right [01:22]
4. See It There [02:32]
5. Serious Threat Display [01:29]
6. Mind Kicked Open [01:07]
7. That Taste Again [01:45]
8. Keep The Bracelets [03:06] 

Siege Mentality is:

Dave Mould | Vocals 
Rick Owen | Bass 
Chris Fane | Guitar 
Will Adams | Drums

Review:

Siege Mentality
n
1. (Psychology) A shared feeling of victimisation and defensiveness - a term derived from the actual experience of military defences of real sieges. It is a collective state of mind whereby one believes that one is being constantly attacked, oppressed, or isolated in the face of the negative intentions of the rest of the world.

Though people often head over to the Sludgelord for new reviews on all that is detuned and fuzz-drenched, we like lots of other kinds of heaviness as well. Siege Mentality's ‘Arrest Days’ is not in the "low-n-slow" category, but goddamn is it a crusher. A lo-fi release for fans of His Hero is Gone, Mind Eraser, Cursed, and Eyehategod's crustier tracks, this record is fourteen minutes of pissed-off grind, crust, and sludge. The Liverpool quartet wear their influences on their sleeves in the best possible way -- you may have heard these elements before, but you aren't at all bummed to hear them put together in such a convincing blast of nihilistic fury. From "Dying Right" to "Serious Threat Display," Siege Mentality pull no punches as they drag you through the streets and kick your teeth in.

Closer "Keep the Bracelets" is a glimpse into what this group is capable of when they let off the gas a little bit. Discordant, downtempo breaks highlight the fury of the d-beat madness that characterizes the rest of the album. They don't go so far as to enter ‘Seizures in Barren Praise’esque moments of atmosphere and dread, but one gets the idea that this group is capable of exploring this realm further without sacrificing the raw aggression that makes this album so convincing. Grab this release and keep an eye out for their next album.

Words by: Ben Hutcherson

You can pick up a name your price DD here.  Tapes are long since sold out. 

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