Liquid Shit - Repulsive Bodies

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 07 Apr 2023

Tracklist:

1. Anxious Wretch

2. Encrusted In Eschar

3. Untethered

4. Foul Occurrence

5. Mentally Dissected

6. Bound Forever To This Body

Less than twelve months after their last EP Untold Horrors in May 2022, London's Liquid Shit returned with their latest EP Repulsive Bodies. Self-released by the band in April 2023 while at the same time getting a tape pressing via Dry Cough Records, it sees Liquid Shit delving deeper into the world of noise and sludge, while also keeping their feet rooted in death metal. 

I absolutely loved Untold Horrors when it was released in 2022. I don’t know, there was just something so warming about it. So much so that I ordered a tape copy of Repulsive Bodies as soon as I could. I’m just sorry that it’s taken me a year to write about it. Today’s muggy atmosphere (coupled with the obligatory allergy flair-up) seems the like the perfect conditions to finally put my thoughts about this EP into print and as opener ‘Anxious Wretch’ lurches into life with slow/sludgy death metal, it makes me wonder if Liquid Shit will be the band that genuinely finds that elusive brown note. 

It’s not a fast song by any means but ‘Anxious Wretch’ acts as a precursor for what’s to come. What does come next is ‘Encrusted In Eschar’, which begins with a whole heap of proper doom/sludge-laden bass, leading to similarly downbeat instrumental all round. The vocals don’t give off any light either, in case you were wondering.

There’s a heavy psych influence in the riffs on ‘Untethered’, which might take you by surprise slightly but have no fear, they’re in absolutely the right place and add a huge amount to the song given how minimalist it is in places. I’m not saying that being minimalist is a bad thing (because it’s not) but I always felt like Liquid Shit had psych vibes in them when listening to Untold Horrors. 

Having said all that though, you couldn’t get a more apt song than Foul Occurrence. What you get here is another slow number that drags death metal into the deepest of places. It comes across as the bastard love child born of Cynic and Primitive Man. Picture that if you will. Slightly progressive/psychedelic death metal mixed with the nastiest sludge/doom.

Penultimate song ‘Mentally Dissected’ dials up the off-kilter musicianship and general noisiness even more, but manages to retain a healthy dose of what made old-school death/doom so engrossing during the song’s first half, before it descends into chaos later on. Closing with ‘Bound Forever To This Body’, unnerving samples lead to a cacophony of deep growls, screeching feedback and minimal yet crushing instrumentation.  

I really like the path that Liquid Shit have chosen to go down with their extreme sound. It would have been easy for them to just follow what others are doing but their music has a more experimental edge to it. This EP follows on from Untold Horrors perfectly and gives the slightest of glimpses into what may be coming next.

You can stream and purchase Repulsive Bodies digitally from Liquid Shit below, as well as the last few white/black long sleeve t-shirts too:-

Dry Cough tapes are sold out.

Liquid Shit - @liquidshitsludge Instagram

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Solstice Pyre - The Sighting Of Ethereal Dimension

 Labels: Self-Released/Death Prayer Records

Formats: Digital/Vinyl

Release Date: 07 Jan 2023

Tracklist:

1. The Spawn Of Havoc

2. Negative Dimensional Vortices

3. The Burning Citadel

4. Requiem For The Fallen

5. On The Edge Of The World

UK black metal label Death Prayer Records put on back-to-back bandcamp listening parties last Friday. The first one was to promote the vinyl release of the debut EP The Sighting Of Ethereal Dimension by Indonesian symphonic black metal band Solstice Pyre. It's great to see the label championing yet more bands from further afield. There isn't a lot of info out there about them, so while things are kept mysterious, their music will do the talking.

Solstice Pyre begin in the most bombastic fashion with the melodic/symphonic tones of ‘The Spawn Of Havoc’, which manage to shroud their cold and raw black metal. At times it’s similar to the sound of Bal-Sagoth, yet the music contained here is less entrenched in fantasy. ’Negative Dimensional Vortices’ leans a lot more towards straightforward black metal, with the keys taking a slightly less prominent role. Instead, they’re replaced by greater use of furious guitar and those frostbitten growls.

It’s evident already that Solstice Pyre want to make their music more expansive and on ‘The Burning Citadel’ they go further in that direction. It’s nearly seven minutes in length and because of that it shows off a more mid-tempo sound, and approach from the band. The symphonic additions are still present but as before, they’re used as a way to compliment the extremity that’s present.

After that barrage of intensity, the short instrumental piece ‘Requiem For The Fallen’ offers up only light relief before ‘On The Edge Of The Void’ provides one final blast of outstanding Indonesian black metal. It really is that good! I knew beforehand that Indonesia was nailing the death metal/grind sound but didn’t have it down as a country that embraced black metal as well performed as this. 

This final song exhibits why no country (however small) should be Ignored when it comes to extreme metal, especially black metal. I appreciate that it’s taken UK label Death Prayer Records to bring Solstice Pyre to my attention, but hopefully it also brings them to the attention of many other metal fans too.

You can stream and purchase The Sighting Of Ethereal Dimension on digital or sumptuous purple/gold flake vinyl formats below:-

Copies can also be purchased from Death Prayer Records here - https://deathprayerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-sighting-of-ethereal-dimension

Death Prayer Records - https://www.facebook.com/deathprayerrecords

Big Water - Drink More Water

Labels: Lydia House/Self-Released/The Ghost Is Clear Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: CDr/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Dec 2018

Tracklist:

1. B.M.

2. My Name Is Chappie Johnson And I Can't Open This Damn Pickle Jar

3. Typical Porn

4. Highest Number Is 24

5. Half-Eatin' Sandwich

6. Drunk Punch Love

Back in 2018 I was lucky enough to be able to premiere the song 'Typical Porn' from the debut EP by Kansas City, US screamo/hardcore band Big Water. My biggest failing at the time though was not reviewing the full EP. I'm (sort of) righting that wrong this evening as I pick my ZBR roster review series back up again. Drink More Water was self-released by Big Water on tape and digitally in November 2018 (according to Discogs), before both The Ghost Is Clear Records and Zegema Beach Records released their own limited tape run a month later. There was also a CDr run made by Lydia House (again according to Discogs) but quantity and release date are unknown.

It’s weird how the less-is-more approach (to writing and posting) seems to be working. I always used to have the energy to write about a new release every evening, but things change and I’m still trying to re-find that same energy. Short sharp releases help and Drink More Water is definitely one of those. Opener ‘B.M.’ greets you with a sample from the TV comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm (I think? Please correct me if I’m wrong). It’s a short intro that leads into Big Water’s take on heavy yet groovy screamo/emo-violence with some added hardcore thrown in. ‘My Name Is Chappie Johnson And I Can’t Open This Damn Pickle Jar’ gives off total mathcore vibes initially. Maybe that’s due to quick shift from sound bite to harsh screamo, with plenty of off-kilter tempos and unexpected rhythmic fluency thrown in to the mix.

By the time you reach ‘Typical Porn’ you realise that while it seems like Big Water don’t take things too seriously, their music and it’s delivery is very much serious business. It’s shorter than the average song (apparently the average length of a “pop” song in three minutes and thirty seconds). Thankfully though, this isn’t an average pop song and I’m now going to wash my mouth out for suggesting it was even close. I get the impression that perhaps my neighbour above might be annoyed with the volume I’m playing this EP at or maybe even the volume of my typing, which I also get abuse for in my day job. ‘The Highest Number Is 24” is as furious as Big Water get. The enjoyment factor is massive here!.

‘Half-Eatin’ Sandwich’ has some bizarre nu-metal influences going on amongst the guitars (at least my ears anyway). It’s over before it’s really begun, in part due to the gung-ho fashion is which Big Water do things. There’s no point in dawdling anyway right?. EP closer ‘Drunk Punch Love’ is the longest song here and it exhibits a leaning towards exciting noise-rock for sure. Filled with angular instrumentation, the vocals are either used sparingly or huddled deep in the mix. It’s hard to pinpoint musical influences but it nods towards AmRep more than it does to Ape Must Not Kill Ape, if you get what I mean.

In the throwaway culture we live in now, debut demos and EPs tend to be overlooked by people who don’t dare to dig below the surface. If you’ve read this review and/or are familiar with Big Water, you’re not one of those people. Thank you, for you have chosen wisely as this EP is fantastic.

You can stream and purchase Drink More Water digitally from Big Water below, where it's also available on tape too:-

Zegema Beach Records still have copies of the tape available in their US store here too - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/big-water-drink-more-water-cassette

Big Water - @bigwaterkc Instagram

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://www.facebook.com/TGICRECS

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords