Kruller
…Failure to Comply
(Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
Kruller boast equal adoration for punk, hardcore, thrash, crossover and whatever genre punches harshly. Kruller spits out …Failure to Comply with tight as fuck musicianship with thrashy crossover production. Brash belligerence is unleashed. The Houston band gives us six new tracks and a re-recorded classic on December 2nd.
Thick, tight riffs push thrash fueled energy across six ballsy songs. The instruments are all mixed well in the production, which has riffs and thunder up front. But, polished solos and cymbal dings which cue crisp time changes are all heard in a crisp manner like all respectable thrash. Jangly bass lines (“Shit”) that incite moshing drive forward songs. The vocals never high pitch wail, which I prefer. They stay haunting and lowly growl to ensure distressful panic in all listeners. Down and dirty metal done well.
The EP kicks off with an insane blast of “Your Worst Enemy”. This is succinct and furious. Heavy thrash rivaling early Swedish death metal. As cool as a title as “Lame (As It Ever Was)” is as a title, the song is the runt of the litter. It weaves in some more melodic guitar lines, which are certainly welcome. The variety is applauded. But the execution is slightly clunky. The vocals are rough as well. The closer, “Nuclear War” is basking in NYHC crossover; Nuclear Assault, MOD, Agnostic Front, Ludichrist, Crumbsuckers, Leeway. It is short and sweet; ferocious and under 90 seconds.
Influences like The Accused, Final Conflict, Sodom, and GBH peek through but Kruller still brandish a style their own. The crusty anger is felt through the album. Kruller shine when then boost into high speed, like the end of “Blown to Oblivion”. The recording is raw, lo-fi but still thick and punishing. The weird Satanic-Nazi nuke goon torturing a scantily clad damsel is brilliant. The beckoning to B Movies in their prime matches well with the band’s sound.
RIYL: Death Angel, Exodus, DRI, Municipal Waste, Dr. Know, Kreator, Discharge, Bathory and all mentioned above.
Purchase Failure to Comply here.
