Gilded Lily : 'Mongrel's Light"

 They come in with the fast rabid attack of a grind-core band coupled with the nasty demeanor of a raw black metal band. They do not have grind core ADD and manage to see out their songs as fully realized compositions. The second song does jump right in and begin snapping at you with a similar feral nature as what opens the album. "Motel Altar" has more of it's own personality. The snarling vocals that sometimes go into a more death metal like roar don't change much on this one. The drummer is pretty insane. There is a more conventional metal guitar melody plopped over this craziness. I'm pretty sure this is more black metal than any other genre. The layered guitar fights against the abrasive guitars on "Glass In St. Mary's Lot". It sounds like the crazy vocals were laid down after the other tracks were recorded and he is just trying to keep up.

There is more of a punk attack to "Yellow Dog's Song". Here I begin to wonder if other dimensions are going to be added or this thrashing black metal attack is all they do. It's impressive, but I have a feeling by the time I'm four more songs in if something aside from the tempo change to 'the City Ends" doesn't happen I am going to begin to get bored."City Ends" turns out to be different enough, then the odd interlude of sorts "A Sparse Room" turns out to be too different. It's distant screams and noise trying to be poetic. "Amber Murk" is more death metal like in it's dissonance. It is a departure from the more black metal like sound with the guitars adding more melodic embellishment in the riffing. It is just as heavy just hitting you from a different direction. A more conventional death metal direction.

The riff that kicks into the blackened attack of "Houndstooth" sounds like it could have been from a Watain album. "Tall Column of Light" doesn't distinguish itself as much as a song with it's own two legs as I thought I was still listening to the song before it. These guys take a tried and true sound, and though they don't really give it that different of a spin, it's the energy and intent behind it that gives this album a unique quality. I'll give it an 8.5, not sure if it's something I'll listen to on a regular basis or not, but it is well crafted for what it is.