Not to be confused with Grace Jones' 'Island Life' album, Bastions come out all guns blazing on this three tracker. Unashamedly old-school, ultra-heavy, sludge and scream hardcore noise, this kind of thing is right up my street when it's done well. Bastions do it well. Very well indeed.
'Island Living' and 'Soar' are tumultuous deluges of heavy guitar noise and throat-ripping vocal contortions, a fearsomely nihilistic and angry hardcore racket. The speakers positively crackle, unable to contain the ferocity of the Welsh four-piece's blistering sonic assault. Closer 'The Great Unwashed' slows the pace by half, but doesn't let up in terms of intensity, the gear-shift taking them into the territory once occupied by mammoth racketmongers Fudge Tunnel. Only heavier, more epic, more shouty, more anguished. Yes, it's that good.
|
No shit, Bastions put the hard in hardcore: 'Island Living' is an explosive and unholy roar of noise, a proper punch in the guts, and instantly leaps into my top ten single / EP releases of the year so far.
http://www.myspace.com/bstns
|
