MORE EDGE TO THE CORE!
September 2005
LOATHE -
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Never mind the hostile name, or the fact that they describe their music
as Hatecore, Loathe’s latest release, like their 2004 debut, is a
fireball of power. It may all sound gruesome, but once the sound sinks
in, the vocals, actually the lyrics, offer another perspective to
Loathe’s heavyweight music. Forget the hate in hatecore, Loathe’s music
is directed primarily at getting their message across by any means
possible, and Beast’s double-edged vocal delivery sounds every bit like
he won’t rest until it’s done!
Edgier and much (much) harder than debut EP ‘Abort
Retry Fail’, ‘Up Close And Personal’ finds Loathe in explosive
form. Tight as ever and with murky melodic twists planted deep inside
the blend of grating riffage, abrasive vocals and ingrained metallic
tilt, every one of the four songs here is bursting with energy. Thirty
seconds into opening track ‘And Then Came Sorrow’, Beast’s very first
intervention is enough to reveal that Loathe’s musical instinct has
moved on from the style displayed on ‘Abort Retry Fail’. Almost
certainly, (turntablist) Jon’s departure was a key factor in
(indirectly) inspiring the new direction. With more space to fill, a
well-rooted fondness for hardcore and two guitarists in the line-up,
it’s hardly surprising that Loathe’s sophomore release wields such heavy
calibre material!
Loathe is:
Beast (vocals), Kurt and Karl (guitars), Estelle (bass) and Bugi (drums).
Read our review of Loathe's debut EP here
Recommended weblink: www.totaloathe.com
