Wednesday 13 July 2016

Bleak - "No Light No Tunnel" (Album Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 08/07/2016
Label: Hex Records

 
 
From the jagged intro of “Teeth” to the guttural barks that bring “Fuck Your God” to a close, Bleak do not let up for a second. Every track here is a potent blend of Converge’s nastiest moments and the crushing attack of Coalesce brewed in a vat of filthy, thick sludge.  “No Light No Tunnel” is not pretty but makes for a horribly captivating listen. Few records this year will match the vitriolic onslaught Bleak deliver here.
 
“No Light No Tunnel” DD//LP track listing:
1). Teeth
2). Cut Throat Rapture
3). I Can Not Die
4). Crowley
5). Needles
6). Crawl
7). Roses
8). First Born
9). No Time
10). Fuck your God
 
The Review:
An album titled “No Light No Tunnel” by a band called Bleak does not fill the listener with hope for hard partying good times. The second album from the New York quartet fulfils all of your worst expectations in a satisfyingly brutal style with thirty minutes of relentless bile-soaked hate.
From the jagged intro of “Teeth” to the guttural barks that bring “Fuck Your God” to a close, Bleak do not let up for a second. Every track here is a potent blend of Converge’s nastiest moments and the crushing attack of Coalesce brewed in a vat of filthy, thick sludge. Shards of serrated guitar burst through bowel-churning riffs while tempos switch between high octane punk rock and churning noise rock grooves. The vocals are an incessant feral howl that enhance the air of anger and futility.
Bar a few instances, most notably the punishing “Roses”, Bleak do not take their foot off the gas. Sometimes a lack of variety can make for a monotonous listen but Bleak’s single-minded focus on unyielding aggression only increases the sledgehammer-impact of this LP. The quality of the band’s assault is maintained throughout with a sustained intensity that makes this an addictive adrenaline rush of ugly noise.
No Light No Tunnel” is not pretty but makes for a horribly captivating listen. Few records this year will match the vitriolic onslaught Bleak deliver here.
“No Light No Tunnel” is available here
Band info: facebook