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.