The debut long-player from the hardcore hadron collider Slowbleed menaces your senses.

According to documented sources, the band “formed with a goal of achieving unrelenting extremity, bridging brutality and technicality within their blend of hardcore aggression and death metal precision.” That gives you a good idea of what is happening on A Blazing Sun, A Fiery Dawn – a place to start, at least. The band is Jon Caytion (vocals), Logan Givan (guitar), John Laux (guitar), Ozzy Parilla (bass), and Tyler Castro (drums).

I heard this music in blocks – my brain just organized it that way. “No Shepherd (Of Wolves)” is a blasting, blistering rampage. It is a greasing grind, if that is possible. The raking vocals and mystical guitar flourishes hold their ground amid the earth-turning rhythm section. I wish that song didn’t have to end. Its immediate predecessor, “Hung At Dawn,” casts a long shadow of gloom at the outset then walks right into it with savage chops. To seal it all, “The Law (Atonement Through Blood)” throws in an 80s callback to spice the walloping trounce. These three are a jarring triplet and they clung together in my mind, unbreakable.

A similar coalescence happened with “Driven By Fire” and “Graves (Pours Of The Earth).” Tied together with the transitional element “Diliculum,” a small suite naturally emerges. To me, then, each song has its own identity, and the entire set has a more nuanced self as a whole. The little legions are in there too, fitting in while being their own thing. The rousing aggression of this songs and the clarity of composition pushes the music to a level well above the rabble. There is no pressure valve here, just the steady flow of heavy music presenting itself for the world to see. Recommended.

Digital and vinyl versions are out on Friday, January 14^th through Creator-Destructor Records. Links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://slowbleedca.bandcamp.com/

Creator-Destructor Records, http://creator-destructor.com/