Relapse Records (2011)

With their roots in crust punk, Black Tusk came together to play some variation of stoner metal and hardcore. If this sounds like your thing then go ahead, check it out and don't read further.

"Passage Through Purgatory" offers a good and listenable production with dominant bass and subdued screamed vocals. I don't know if screamed, intense vocals should come off subdued, on the other hand changing the production would just make this a slightly more interesting hardcore punk release. To their credit, there are some faster songs and even some attempted guitar solos.

After arriving at track 7, if you had asked me, I would have guessed that we are still only at 2 or 3. Meaning either that they practise great stylistic continuity or that I am goddamned bored by this. I have no idea why there the vocalist is screaming all the time, his aggression feels out of place. What is he pissed about, that Marijuana is illegal?

This album lacks substance and atmosphere but can show itself off musically. I can't enjoy it because I absolutely dislike the vocals. Compared to Death or Black Metal vocals, hardcore style screaming doesn't carry the punch anymore. The decision to include this type of vocals signifies that Black Tusk want to be extreme but don't want to go all the way. There was a time when hardcore punk was a pioneering genre in extreme music, with bands trying to find new borders. Since punk died, it's passion went to metal and that is where it is today. Black Tusk celebrate a dead genre and fail to infuse life into it. Stale and uninteresting.

www.relapse.com

Rating: 2 / 6

Composed by Lennard Bertram