Separately, both Dutch breakcore producers Bong-Ra and Deformer have amassed substantial reputations, but this debut album from their new Wormskull project Sound Of Hell sees them enlisting the skills of guitarist Eni-Less and drummer Balazs Pandi (who’s previously collaborated with Merzbow and Venetian Snares) to form something of a moshpit-oriented supergroup. Perhaps most importantly however, this isn’t strictly speaking a ‘purist’s breakcore album per se, but rather a collection that sees the quartet paying tribute to their own teenage metal roots, with the ten tracks here managing to veer off into all sorts of rhythmic directions. After an intro section that sees Deformer’s penchant for obscure retro horror movies firmly intact, ‘Deadlocks’ thunders straight in with a volley of tribal double-kick drumming before exploding off into a headspinning blur of rapid-fire snares and howling guitar chords, Scapu Lox’s guest MC vocals only just making it through the wall of noise intact at points.
By contrast, the aptly-titled ‘Nosebleed’ calls to mind Bad Brains run through an audio blender as yelled ragga vocals cling tightly to a hammering backdrop of breakneck rhythms and churning guitar sludge just before the entire track slides down into a mass of furious timestretching and chaotic synth bleeps, before ‘Ori Ede’ shifts the tempo down a few notches in favour of a darkly atmospheric wander through deep dubstep wobbles, eerie guitar bends and massed tribal drums. In many senses though, it’s ‘Do It’s that’s most emblematic of Wormskull’s OTT metal aesthetic, as samples from the infamous Ozzy Osbourne backwards message documentary get tossed through a virtual threshing machine of Metallica-esque guitar riffage and hammering ‘Amen’ break-fuelled rhythms. Devil signs aloft, this thrashing first salvo from Wormskull certainly satisfies the inner headbanger.
Chris Downton
