Tuesday 12 February 2019

***SENKETSU exclusive premiere***

'Titan Steam EP'
exclusive album premiere
For fans ofMares Of Thrace, Made Of Babies, Bloodpheasant, Converge, Amber, Savage Spirit and I Hate Sally

Today's exclusive premiere is both amazing and saddening, as Tampa Bay hardcore/metal/mathcore band SENKETSU shares their first and final EP with us, as they decided to disband following the recording after falling into their drummer void (temporarily filled in by Mung Parker on this EP). These six songs are an amazing concoction of mind-boggling math metal, caustic screaming, serene singing, chaotic hardcore and anime/horror film references and you can jam them below or head over to the SENKETSU bandcamp for cassette and t-shirt bundles. If you are smitten and are curious about the members' other bands, Melody used to play in Gorikoza and No More Victims while Mark was in The Veal Union, Shot Heard 'Round The World and now plays in Jolly Fuckers.

No more waiting, let's go!

(2019) 1 - SENKETSU "Botched Butcher If You Please" (from 'Titan Steam')
A stellar opener that barely eclipses the two-minute mark. If you like the dark, evil flavor of bands such as Mares Of Thrace and I Hate Sally then you will fall in love with this. The vocals here are sinister and that additional inclusion of subtle ringing at around 1:15 as well as subsequent chugs are fucking ace.

(2019) 2 - SENKETSU "Evil Schon" (from 'Titan Steam')
A devastating track that takes flight during the second half with classically-trained vocalist Melody's soaring singing.

(2019) 3 - SENKETSU "¡TICK!" (from 'Titan Steam')
This is the shortest song on the record, as in 1:21 they blast through some hellish hardcore with an appearance from Satan himself right before the close.

(2019) 4 - SENKETSU "You are the Cure" (from 'Titan Steam')
Opening with rolling drums and spoken/barked vocals, this song begins rather disjointed and awkward (in a good way) and it slides into a nice post-hardcore groove at 50 seconds. Once the distant shrieking kicks back in the song really takes flight, with an exceptional interlude complete with intricate plucking and crooning. Both the singing and instruments sound akin to Rhode Island's Bloodpheasant, and by 2:50 the song hits its climax with a spacey guitar progression that blasts the song into space.

(2019) 5 - SENKETSU "Mori" (from 'Titan Steam')
This is probably tied for my favourite track along with the opener, as "Mori" is a deep, rolling and epic jam that brings to mind Mares Of Thrace, Made Of Babies and even Converge. The entire second half ditches the more straightforward hardcore/metal in favor of a repetitive instrumental loop with one helluva hook, topped off by Melody's very selective "aaawwwwwww"s.

(2019) 6 - SENKETSU "Buried Alive" (from 'Titan Steam')
This song carries the most restraint and is able to do so until 1:10 when, like Harrison Bergeron, they shed their chains and show their true selves. What does that mean? It means they go apeshit and take the most prodigious aspects of SENKETSU and zap them with radiation, creating a behemoth that is equal parts Jesus Lizard and Bloodpheasant.

(2019) 7 - SENKETSU "Dark Work With Dark Friends" (from 'Titan Steam')
The closer begins even more relaxed than the previous track, but nearly reaches the five-minute mark and includes a ton of different sections. Following the tranquil intro we are met with sludgy chugs and throat-tearing screams, then it dips into a post-rock instrumental section before ripping the listener's face off again with that chug part that resembles a bear attack. By 2:15 the song begins to transform (or possibly implode) as it shifts and falls in on itself due to its extreme malleability, eventually seeping into the floorboards and disappearing forever.

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

Jeromes Dream cover / buy cassette in the U.S.A. here or Canada/Internationally here

No comments:

Post a Comment