Full of Hell - Weeping Choir

Labels: Relapse Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 17 May 2019

Tracklist:

1. Burning Myrrh

2. Haunted Arches

3. Thundering Hammers

4. Rainbow Coil

5. Aria Of Jeweled Tears

6. Downward

7. Armory Of Obsidian Glass

8. Silmaril

9. Angels Gather Here

10. Ygramul The Many

11. Cellar Of Doors

I appreciate that this release has probably been dissected by enough people already, given it's release nearly a month ago but having picked up a vinyl copy over the weekend just gone I was yearning to throw my hat into the ring. There's probably not a lot I can say about Full of Hell in an introduction that hasn't already been said and if by any chance you're still living under a rock, you need to sort that out. "Weeping Choir" was released in mid-May via Relapse Records across all formats. They're currently playing various shows across Europe with The Body, so get to one if you can. 

I’m at the point right now where I just want my music to be fast, grinding and super angry. I need intensity to help me iron out some kinks and Full of Hell was the first band I wanted to turn to. You can’t get anymore grinding and intense than their new record and as opener Burning Myrrh kicks off, there’s no room for hiding. A mix of many elements of heavy music make this the epitome of everything I’ve mentioned above. Full of Hell has taken the music back into the territory that was held by “Rudiments Of Mutilation” albeit with a more focused and clear sound. It’s less powerviolence and more straight-up grind on Haunted Arches, with a more obvious metal influence playing a greater role. It’s still super fast and contains their now trademark noise and samples but the progression they’ve made so far really shows. 

The riffs are huge on Thundering Hammers, which is a great song title. They’re akin to death metal blows to the head that are brimming with technicality and match the dual high/low growls really well. The drums are stupidly quick while the bass tops it all off with an ominous rumble. FoH’s noise influences come to the fore during the frankly disturbing Rainbow Coil, which is a jarring piece filled with white noise and drumming that’s inhuman,. The guitars aren’t as prevalent here except for some ringing feedback and the vocals also take a bit of a back seat too. I guess breaking up the aural barrage isn’t a bad thing. This song will still appeal to your menacing side.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a machine gun was going off during the opening bars of Aria Of Jeweled Tears, but alas it’s just the drums (or maybe samples) again. Without even breaching ninety seconds, FoH manages to prove that good songs don’t need to be long. The way they switch from powerviolence/grind to death metal in the space of seconds is impressive and Downward contains the groove of the latter while still reaching an insane tempo. From there you’re greeted with Armory Of Obsidian Glass, which is a sludge-laden beast (possibly influenced by recent touring buddies Primitive Man) but still made all their own. It’s tempo, as expected, is toned down a lot and the vocals take on a horror-themed persona. Maddening is used a lot when describing heavy music (and has indeed been used a lot by me in the past) but this truly is. It’s ending passage though is beautiful and life-affirming.

The feelings you experienced during Armory Of Obsidian Glass are soon flung to one side by the anguish and hyperactivity of Silmaril. I don’t think there’s any other way to describe it. Noise and stomping sludge make Angels Gather Here something of an anomaly. It’s not the calming piece you might think it is and instead it’s a mid-tempo beast filled with glitchy electronics and bass-heavy riffs. The final duo beginning with Ygramul The Many and ending with Cellar Of Doors will make you pray you were undergoing rendition, such is their crazed black jazz and possessed screams (during the former) and mix of death and black-grind (during the latter). 2019 is turning into a stellar year musically and you probably won’t find a better record than this one. Full of Hell’s musical maturity is shining through and long may it continue.

Stream "Weeping Choir" and purchase it on all formats below:-

Full of Hell - https://www.facebook.com/fullofhell

Relapse Records - https://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords/