BIND TORTURE KILL

Viscères

WOOAAARGH Furious French genre-meddlers run out of steam Remember when ‘post’ was the on-trend prefix for subgenres? Well, allow us to introduce you to the new wave of ‘blackened’. We’ve had blackened death metal (Behemoth), blackened hardcore (Young And In The Way) and now it’s blackened post-hardcore from Lyon trio Bind Torture Kill. Firmly in the vein of Baptists, the frantic punk percussion is surrounded by a murkier edge, cocooned by throaty roars enforcing a cathartic release. Viscères oozes adrenaline… at least for the first half. The seven-and-a-half minute centerpiece, Pestilence, slows the pace substantially. Slower songs are not BTK’s forte; they should be delivering a onetwo knockout, not a 12-round slobberknocker. The follow-up, Maelstrom, is no better either; when the frenzied clattering should continue unabated, we’re encouraged to take a time-out. Fuelled by venom, there’s a lot to drag you in, but Viscères’ intended adventurism leads to a dead end. FOR FANS OF: BAPTISTS, BLACK BREATH, CONVERGE

LUKE MORTON