ninehertz

Not content with releasing to the world one chaotic and superb album this year already (Drinking, from four months ago), Black Shape are back already touting this new EP.

It is inevitably a continuation of just how good the album was – and again showcases Black Shape’s rare individuality. It is cause for celebration to find four new songs from them so soon. In every moment there are giant clashes of genres and sounds which shouldn’t be able to sit together without cause for friction or mangled mess, but they somehow find a way to control and coalesce these opposites together, presumably with a giant stick hanging over it all, like a rabid ringmaster.

So as death grunts trade with North-East accented rap, as sludge tone infects noise-rock methods, it still works as one, as ever. Specific to this EP I distinctly hear the essence of Sepultura’s Roots in the first and last tracks, in the feel of the guitars. That they overload every song with riffs is a given, but should not be taken for granted. And not only does it all fit together, it becomes strangely, warmly hypnotic.

Caine Hemmingway from Believe in Nothing – a band I’ve had on repeat in recent days – provides guest vocals to Troll, but my favourite is probably Dr Death, where it is hard to pin down which era of my metal listening life this appeals to the most, is it in its alt-metal crossover, perhaps in the base adrenaline of big chuggy riffs that drew us all in in the first place, or perhaps the deathy, sludgey overlay? The answer is, of course, all of them together.

A massively welcome quick return, as more Black Shape will always be a good thing.