Auditory Shrapnel: BAILER, WARDOMIZED, ONKALO… Posted: 06/07/2017 by John O'Brien
BAILER – “PTSD”
1. In For A Penny, In For A Pound
2. Death Waits
3. Malevolent
4. The Benefit Of Doubt (remastered)
BUY/DOWNLOAD : Bandcamp – Bigcartel – iTunes – Spotify
Cork’s BAILER have been on a steady upward trajectory ever since bursting onto the scene with their first two single back in early 2015. Music videos have played a big part in their continuing success and this new EP was preceded with one for the opening track ‘In For A Penny, In For A Pound’. And what a video it is! Monkey suits, skateboards, Dutch Gold and Bucky! And the song itself is a pure belter.
‘Death Waits’ is based around a deadly riff, but it’s just a very short interlude track that, to be quite honest, I don’t really see the point of. I mean! Why not just have it as an intro piece to a proper track. But what about it, sure. As soon as it ends BAILER go full-tilt once more ‘Malevolent’, another of their trademark hefty groove numbers.
Closing the EP is a remastered version of ‘The Benefit Of Doubt’ from last years “Shaped By The Landscape” EP. Another decision I don’t fully get either, as it doesn’t improve on the original really. In fact you’d be hard pressed to find any difference at all. “PTSD” was originally intended to be released as a Single format. And I feel that it should have been done that way. It’s basically two new tracks which are quality, with a filler interlude and a remastered track thrown in flesh it out.
WARDOMIZED – “Red Death (Flows Through My Veins)”
1. Tied To Machines
2. Red Death (Flows Through My Veins)
3. Rebirthed
4. Tribal Warfare
5. Nothing Left
BUY/DOWNLOAD: Bandcamp
Ripping new EP from Belfast’s WARDOMIZED. The bands early efforts were very rough’n’ready recordings that didn’t really hit the mark, but their “Strained” single from definitely showed notable signs of improvement and focus. Over a year later and WARDOMIZED are back with their latest EP, “Red Death (Flows Through My Veins)”. The band has almost completely discarded their thrash origins and have honed in on the death/grind style of the previous years single.
There’s still an element of early SEPULTURA in the crustiness and tone of the riffing with more than a few nods to NAPALM DEATH’s Barny Greenway on the vocal front. Each track mixes styles switching from a slower doom/death tinged intro directly into a cutting guitar riff and blasts, or vice-versa. And there isn’t a huge amount of variety between the tracks, but to be fair… with it being an EP of only five tracks in all, it doesn’t really take from the overall enjoyment.
All round a deadly chunky slab of crusty riffs and blasts!
ONKALO – “s/t”
1. Murmer
2. Blood On Your Hands
3. To The Grave
4. The Following
BUY/DOWNLOAD : Bandcamp
ONKALO are a new outfit based out of Cork featuring members formerly associated with KAWTIKS, ÍWERIÚ, [r]EVOLUTION OF A SUN and more. They dole out a pretty dirty and hefty take on hardcore with a fair amount of vicious Death Metal blasting. At times the different players seem to be at odds with each other. The drums and the guitars are away off on their own tangents doing their own thing. But it all comes together and works well in the overall scheme. The chaotic nature is quite a lot to take in, but as manic as it all seems… each track is fairly short and to the point.
Still very early days for ONKALO, but definitely an interesting prospect.
