Racebannon - Acid Or Blood
Ever wondered what it sounds like in a serial killers head...? Well wonder no more, just whack 'Acid Or Blood' into your HiFi (that's the name of the album not some sonic experiment), sit back and discover a world of schizophrenic, visceral, abrasive, hardcore pain. Needless to say, this is not the album to sip a glass of Pinot Grigo with; more bury the head of a small child to.
‘Acid Or Blood’ is the Indianapolis bands fifth full album, and sees them continue in their quest to reinvigorate the hard core / speed core arena. Unlike many bands in their scene Racebannon are not afraid to experiment with electronics, turntables and atmospheric noise, the results of which sets them way ahead of their closest rivals. Because of their willingness to experiment the album has a plethora of ideas and dynamics, from gargantuan riffs at half speed, 'Vampyric Solution' and 'Sister Fucker' where the time signature change and resulting riffage would not be out of place on a Queens Of The Stone Age release, through hyper speed core, 'Terror And Dread', to futuristic interludes, 'Candida And Parasites', and long passages of feedback atmospherics, 'Sister Fucker' again, 'Awaken' and 'The Killer'.
It's this last device that makes this album a truly uncomfortable ride - it creates an element of tension and expectancy that is hard to bear. For the best example of this see the 8.5 minute 'The Killer', 3 minutes of which is just pulsating feedback before Michael Anderson screams and all hell breaks loose as they dive into 'Terror And Dread'. This is followed by 'Bella Ciao' which could be the sound of Italian soldiers marching to a futuristic battle.
'Acid Or Blood' is the glorious realisation of a bands vision. At once disparate and cohesive, the album announces the arrival of a focused sound that has eluded the band on their previous releases. Each song features more original ideas than most hard/noise/speed core bands manage in a whole album. It's like listening to Refused's 'Shape Of Punk....' with added fury, dementia and evil.
Top Tracks: 'Sister Fucker', 'Vampyric Solution', 'The Killer'.
Released 14/07/2008 on Southern