Secret Cutter :"Quantum Eraser"

Heavy... that is the mission statement here. This Trio is one of the band's whose name I am familiar with, but have never sat down to give a solid listen. Sludge seems to be the focus, though the spastic tormented vocals could come from a grind core band as they are not just the coarse bellow that booms from most sludge. The pace picks up on "Trampled By Light". The riff to this song is driven with a more commanding chug. The vocals are pretty much human generated white noise. The are mixed back into the guitars so more of an obligatory layer. The first hint of this band possessing intention more vicious than sludge comes about on "Bended Knee" as it's at a more feral mania bringing the more latent grind-core side to the surface. This song slows, but the focus gets shaky. There is a more deliberate sonic heaviness to "4 1/2". This puts them back into the sludge corner.

So far there are no guitar solos or anything but a sincere desire to be heavy. The guitar is tuned down so low and doubled so densely there is no reason for a bass player. "Transient" is more of a beating, with slight ebb and flow, though mostly dialed to 11. The speed back up into grind core on "Vow of Obedience". There is some weird angular atmosphere when it slows for a few bars. At under a minute vocals would have been pointless. At almost four minutes "Mantis" is one of the album's longest songs. It's like a less swampy Eyehategod. The screamed vocals are normally at a throat shredding higher mid range. With we lower growls thrown in. Almost like Sami from Acid Bath. The riff to the fast and furious "Doormat" almost seems out of character like it was lifted from a Meshuggah album and set to blasting grindcore. "Avalanche" almost feels like a continuation of " Doormat". The riffs roll on with an oppressive groove. In other words metal mush.

"Oblivion" at least makes an effort to provide dynamics by starting with a cleaner guitar tone. It does devolve into on crushing riff regurgitated into a drone which becomes the bands mission statement. Though I began to lose interest when the sound took on a more uniform pulse in the album's second half I think they accomplished what they set out to do and do this kind of thing well, I'll give it an 8 for this fact despite the fact that I personally see no reason to give this album another listen. If you are into sludge filled grind core with groove then this album is more for you than it is me. It comes out July 6th.