ButcherBird : "Drought / Deluge"

This hardcore band from London has a metallic groove to their feedback-squealing attack. The vocals are the most straightforward thing about the overall sound, as they are delivered with the kind of angry shout you expect from hardcore. They throw some breakdowns at you, but they come from less expected places, so they work. Despite the jerking whiplash of the mathy riffs, they are more straightforward in a more rock n roll manner than, say, Full of Hell. They are willing to give into the atmosphere, with unwieldy sections of choruses colliding at you in a manner that reminds me more of Rollins Band than Black Flag. Though the mood is more celebratory than "The End of Silence" was for the more sullen Henry. 

"Be the Rabbits " finds them balancing out songwriting with confrontational explosion. It does remind me that in the 90s, hardcore was much more willing to be experimental than it is now. Midway into this song, there is a little more brooding introspection that adds to the album's overall dynamic flair. Their vocalist actually sings here as well. 'Dead Cat Strategy' finds a burly bellowing set against the sinewy tension, as they wind their way around simmering resentment given catharsis here. "I've Walked in Space" finds more nuanced guitar expanding the album's emotional range. 

The last song is more high-energy energy in your face. Their drummer is certainly earning his pay on this one. There is more of a noise-rock temperament, set against urgent outpouring to spit these lyrics in your face at the high volume they can find. Lyrical, it's more experimental than the typical let's all unite and be tough together to get through this unfair world garbage, you get from your average hard-core band which I was never a fan of I always wanted hopeless depressed apocalyptic hard-core which is why bands like Bloodlet, Starkweather and Integrity always appealed to me but I can get down with what these guys are doing as well.  They do it so well that I'll give this album a 9.5, as I see how it grows on me, it will likely get a fair amount of rotation since I am not sure what I did with my old Rollins Band albums. 

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