STUNTMAN / COWARDS - split 7"EP

Grooving metallic hardcore veterans STUNTMAN open up on 'Parish' with a rolling stomper of a riff that shifts dynamically from palm muted chugging to full bore screaming mosh-violence across the relatively short track length. Building on a solid foundation of huge drums this track has the swaggering attitude of a proper mosh anthem. In common with their fellow Frenchmen in COWARDS this track was recorded live and that raw quality and energy seeps from the pores of this track in infectious waves, other tracks from this recording session are to be released as another split with the peerless Art of Burning Water and as a standalone flexi. This is an incredibly catchy ear-worm of grooving metallic hardcore in the finest traditions of the masters (Converge, Botch, etc). It serves as a perfect counterpoint to the melancholic bleakness of the COWARDS side with driving riff-led head-smashing joy!

Parisians COWARDS unleash the audible equivalent of a panic attack on their half of this split. Gruesome blackened hardcore trem picking covers the listener in a static veil. Lurching between a blasting opening section and a growling, slurring outro, coated in shimmering reverb and razor sharp gain. 'Pulled Hair' was recorded at the same time as the bands 2016 studio album 'Still', and retains the energy and bleak atmosphere of that release along with the furious production quality. Shrieking vocals penetrate the trademark scathing guitar riffs, underpinned by thundering, churning drums and the crushing tank-tread tone of the bass. There is an echoing sadness with the outro that pulls the listener back down after the rage of the opening, it is like the noise equivalent of hair pulling, the instant of pain and anger, followed by trying to understand the act. Blackened Hardcore at it's most incisive and effective.