Album Type: Full-Length
Date Released: 18/05/2015
Label: Undergroove Records
‘Defacer’ CD//DD track Listing
1). Slowhawk
2). Despiser
3). Wuelf Baanger
4). Bludgeon
5). Burn Them Out
6). Warcries
7). Bastards Of Reality
8). This Spiteful Cycle
9). Mealworm
Hogslayer is:
Vocals | Lord Bastard
Guitar | Baron Drakk
Bass | Otto Kraal
Bass | Damek Omsk
Drums | Max Von Beek
Review:
Hogslayer, the nasty sludge/noise mongers formed in 2012, have carved a festering, cankerous wound into the heavy Welsh music scene. They have annihilated stages with twinkly fairy music makers Dopethrone and Gurt to name a few. Cardiff; famous for being the home of the Millennium Stadium, the Welsh National Assembly and lest we forget the muscle clad rugger buggers of many a woman’s fantasies can put all of that to one side. Why? Well, when you eject the vicious bastards that form Hogslayer into the world everything else will pale into comparison.
The bands second album is certain to smash all-comers in 2015, bloody and pulverised it drags the listener in by the earholes, determined to stamp its bloody footprint on the soul of all who listen. It is a pitiless onslaught of ballsy, gritty, filth ridden sludge bellowing with guttural, animalistic pleasure.
‘Defacer’ starts off its immense, solid offering with the first three tracks; ‘Slowhawk’, ‘Despiser’ and ‘Wuelf Baanger’ setting the stage for their own brand of balls to the wall, straight shot, earth shattering sludge.
The vocals; guttural and thunderous, meaty yet succinct; straight from the bowels of hell with extra added venom for your listening displeasure eases off enough for the music to do the shouting at times. The drums, relentless in their hammering, the skins screaming from the punishment yet resolute to perform to the end, the guitars sounding like a gift from the devil himself are thunderous in their approach.
Much respect to the guys who get to the bare bones from the off, they don’t hold back in their approach, like it or lump it, listen or don’t, they will tell you what they want to tell you. End of story, chapter and verse.
‘Warcries’ is just filth ridden; Monotonous, bleak and unforgiving, it ploughs on determined in its senseless destruction of anything that even thinks of being happy around it. So dirty it leaves you feeling the need for a Dettol bath and a shot of whisky for the shock.
‘Mealworm’ is their finale, with ear splitting feedback to start, once more consistent in its approach, it is a relative slow builder and throughout you feel as if they are holding back and for me as a finale this is a little lacklustre, given the abuse you’ve been subjected too previously.
Overall their heaviness is unmistakeable in its consistency; however one minor criticism levelled at the band is that the lack of variance, leave the record feeling a little stale by the albums conclusion. Hogslayer are not on a mission to rewrite the genre or set the world on fire with immense levels of guitar trickery, instead they offer harsh, soul crushing doom. Yes, whilst at times it sounds like they are making noise just for the sake of it, arguably therein lies the wart encrusted beauty of it.
In summation, If Unsane and Black Sabbath were to have a liquor soaked, drugged up one night stand; Hogslayer would be their bastard offspring. A blunt, honest and evil sounding sludge album that crushes all around it, no question and heavier than a heavy thing on a heavy day in heavy world on a heavy planet.
Words by: Kat Hilton
‘Despiser’ is available here
For more information:
Official: http://www.hogslayer.co.uk/
