Of Feather And Bone - (2020) Sulfuric Disintegration

 

Profound Lore Records ‎– PFL-252 

The third album from Of Feather and Bone is a frightening, warped spectacle. Using their previous effort and breakout moment, 2018’s Bestial Hymns of Perversion, as a lose foundation and framework the trio use Sulfuric Disintegration to perfect, pervert and punish. The band keep their offering extremely lean, too, with only six tracks combining to contribute to this LP, which comes in at little over half an hour. It is, however, the perfect running time for such a maelstrom of heaviness. Any heavier and we would surely become so dense as to sink straight to Hell, sans, y’know, death…

As alluded to, the band’s previous record was a defining moment in their life so far as an act. Prior to that, an album (Embrace the Wretched Flesh), two EPs (False Healer and Adorned in Decay) and a split (with Reproacher) has signposted them as a band high on technical merit, luxuriant in their musicianship, but lacking a clear defining edge. Mixing grindcore with a crusty hardcore, their sound was powerful and deliciously bludgeoning, but seemed to be missing a true creative spark, or indeed some easily identifiable passion behind the playing. All that changed with Bestial Hymns of Perversion.

Moving to famed extreme metal label Profound Lore (who are also responsible for this release), the trio mostly deviated away from the hardcore and crust punk influences they had introduced themselves with. In their place was an extremely brutal brand of death metal, now interacting and poisoning the veins of their already established and much loved penchant for grindcore. In this musical corruption, the band found their sound and horror was unleashed.

Sulfuric Disintegration builds upon the structure now established and respected throughout the scene. The band members attack this record in a way that genuinely took my breath away on the first listen – and now makes me shake my head in wonder upon repeated spins. It is nigh-on deranged in the focus and strength that this record exudes from every angle one approaches it.

As well as the writing and performances it is worth noting those the band have surrounded themselves with to record such a feat. Recorded at Juggernaut Audio by Ben Romsdahl and produced, mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk, Sulfuric Disintegration has the same people behind it as the most recent Primitive Man album Immersion, as well as albums from the likes of Xibalba, Cro-Mags and Pissgrave. It sounds utterly and uniquely toxic. The presentation of this record is topped off by some pretty mesmerising artwork from Stewart Cole, who has previously done work for Bastard Grave and Noisem.