Noosed - Rise

Irish Sludge/Grind/Crust/Noise terror two piece Noosed are set to release Rise on the 23rd of October. It's a short slice of pummelling destruction for those who like their Eyehategod with a side of Napalm Death.

The album (EP?) begins with the cold marching of boots against scraping metallic noise, and a sample along the lines of "God created this country, and it's the greatest country in the world", no doubt included as critique of oppressive religious leaderships. This positively dreadful atmosphere leads into We Aim, perhaps the most mid-tempo track of the release, which strikes me as somewhat puzzling when compared to the intensity of the rest of the tracks. It isn't a bad track, in fact it packs a hell of a wallop, it just might not be the strongest opening statement.

That said, when Rise finds it's footing, there's rarely a break in the thundering momentum. This is the kind of release I can see picture the band playing back to front as their set, with the mosh pit never being given the chance to rest. Never Going Home continuously blasts, putting many black metal poseurs to shame. Rats turns up the grind n roll for a groove filled two minutes of punishment, and the same punk fuelled ferocity continues into Going to Fall. This far into the album, you're left with no uncertainty as to Noosed's commitment to their art. 

Perhaps the song which best captures the full spectrum of this album in it's entirety is Rearranged. Equal parts grind, sludge, punk, and a good measure of industrial stomp, Rearranged is ferocious, dirty, and mean, like the bite of a rabies infested dog, fresh from the glowing forests of Chernobyl. Closing track, and album namesake, Rise perfectly wraps up this sordid affair, with the fastest blasts and the grimmest vocal delivery.

The production of Rise is hit and miss. The drums sound great, but they're dominating in the mix. The guitars lack body, so they really struggle underneath the drums. Similarly, the vocals are quite low in the mix. I understand the choice to distort them, but I want them loud, clear and biting, commanding the anti-establishment charge. It's lo-fi, which is entirely in keeping with the genres that the band self-identify as, but in general the production is missing the edge to sufficiently convey the anger and the danger of the musical content.

 Noosed aren't here to fuck about. They believe that as a species, we're 'staring through the hangman's noose.' The succinct new release Rise is none stop nihilism from the Irish two piece, packed with blistering blasts and grooving, bruising riffs that'll make you fill your kegs. 

JC

FFO: Napalm Death, Buzzov*en, Godflesh

Booking and info – https://noosed.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/NOOSEDBAND/