LYCANTHROPY:
Self-titled: LP
A seamless blend of grind and hardcore punk. Woven so tight you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. Lycanthropy have done an awesome job of melding the genres that many attempt time and again. The music is crushing and insanely fast. Everything hits with a bone-crushing thud—guitars, bass, drums. Super abrasive distortion that really grinds and churns. Zdisha’s vocals cut through the wall with a throat-shredding growl and gives these guys an edge many bands lack. One thing that blows me away with every listen of this LP is how they can start and stop the songs so cleanly, and the effect it creates. It’s like being on an escalator that suddenly stops. Every one lurches forward, then the escalator starts up again, immediately lurching everyone backward. Hope that made sense. “Never Ending Frustration” varies between mid- and ultra-fast tempos and is a nice switch from the full-on speed assault. “True Face” has some cool drum breaks towards the end as well. Also, glad to see/hear another band singing about animal rights—“Fur Farms”. –Matt Average (Insane Society)