Description
Splitknuckle – “Breathing Through The Wound” LP
Essex five piece with their first vinyl full-length, co released by Glasgow based label Northern Uproar and also, impressively, Connecticut hardcore label Daze. Essentially a hardcore release but with strong death metal influences that are highly technical and ’90s retro. It’s not a style I’m much of an authority on, especially, for some reason, when its a UK based band… cross-Atlantic, after-the-event, beatdown and metalcore is enough to make anyone recoil with apprehension… However, aside from keeping on the right side of righteousness (I wouldn’t call them either beatdown or metalcore – they’re just close/adjacent), Splitknuckle earn extra plaudits for their nifty musical versatility, and then extra credits for the mental dexterity of the guitarist – on fire all the time – with a rhythm section that impressively keeps pace no problem. Members of Pest Control and Raiden put in guest appearances. Production is raw, powerful and faultless. And the sleeve artwork gets the thumbs up too – I don’t know what the imagery is exactly, but I know that I like it and that it looks good.
