Sword Heaven - Gone (Vinyl LP, CD)

I loved the 'Entrance' record this duo did on Load a few years back so landing this one is quite the score. From the moment you hit the ignition you're in for one hell of a messy ride. It sounds like a T-Rex is playing drums, smashing away while shrieks of a tortured one howl in sorrow and pain. 'Dead End' is a monolithic slab of primal heaviness that demands to be heard. On this track the duo of Aaron Hibbs and Mark Van Fleet's drums, looped samples and vocals are joined by John Also Bennett on sax and his playing adds an extra dimension to the dirge, This is the real deal, balls of steel shit. As the track progresses the pounding drums become ridiculous, vocals spitting everywhere, tons of distortion.... Super heavy apocalyptic mayhem. 'Driving Through Old Town' is the filling in this shit sandwich, being the middle tune and the second track of three. Here they are joined by Ryan Jewell who does some additional skin bashing while some demonic indecipherable vocals snarl, things get claustrophobic and like being trapped in some weird other zone occupied by Captain Caveman providing the audio entertainment. 'So What' is like a big stomping mammoth tribal jam with human sacrifices, cannibals and all that. Later on the big marching drum makes me think of a big battle, limbs being blown off, dudes getting decapitated and all stabbed up, then the flamethrowers come out and start torching everything, the stench of burning flesh, all the while the military band beat the drums and chant while surrounded by a blood bath, fellow humans dying in each others arms. If ever a track captured my imagination of the atrocities of war and the chaos of combat then this is way up there. Unbelievably heavy and powerful transmissions. This is their first record recorded in a "proper studio" that being Columbus Discount Studios. This comes super mega ultra highly recommended. I gotta dig out some more records by these animals. Infuckingsane.