Aksumite : "Self Interference"

Here's another one  of Damien Master's projects. The album opens with what doesn't even seem to be a fully  realized song but a brief out burst of punk. There is more of a black metal feel to "New Values" that follows which spreads out the guitar tone and offers a wider range of dynamics than I expected going into this. Then there is another outburst that is under a minute. The title track rips into a similar brand of punk of but has a more metallic Motorhead on pcp from hell propulsion. "The Silhouette Speaks" has a similar crude punk drive to it but is allowed more time to gestate into a fully formed song.

The vocals do have more of a metal roar to them than punk like shouting. The is very evident in "Rack and Ribs", which at a minute and fifty one seconds in one of the albums longest songs. "The Center is Blood" flails off course into obnoxious punk. "Forehead Kisses" like the bulk of the album is also more punk than not , but the guitars seem to be more aware that they are playing a song than just being banged upon. The interplay between the guitar and the drums is a fun way for them to switch things up. Not as gracefully punk is "Turquoise Fangs" that stumbles into a more melodic section. Then the album descends into punk that all pretty much sounds the same.Masters claims all the vocals were free styled , which might be true since you can only understand maybe every fourth word.


 The closing songs "All The Things I Think" flirts with black metal but really doesn't fully commit to to it. There are some marginal hard-core moments, mixed with noise rock. There are some good ideas here, this is not the most consistent album and the punk side of what they do which is the dominate flavor just isn't my thing. I'll give this album a 6.5. If you are a fan of Master's more punk leanings then this is the album you have been waiting for.