ninehertz

It begins with the voice of William Gibson, author of the seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer, warning of the dehumanising then-future of a humanity online – a Consensual Hallucination as the track is titled. It is a suitably bleak start to a brutal record, the song then a slow, sludge-tainted, belligerent hardcore; weighty in sound and emotion.

Recvrse, from Los Angeles, describe themselves as “dark hardcore for the decline of civilisation” and they launch all of that anger and frustration into their music. The remaining five tracks of With Forgiveness Comes Sacrifice never relent, increasing in pace towards metallic hardcore of Converge and the crusty chaos of Tragedy.

There’s more to them that simple comparisons though. Songs are littered with incredible hooks that could be from a screamo school if they weren’t so ear shatteringly heavy, their bludgeoning approach is never mindlessly applied. The magnificent World of Neglect is in your face in a Trap Them style, an intensity that is magnificent and makes you want to join their cause such is its invigorating quality.

Its only fault is that is all too brief, over in under a quarter of an hour. It feels longer, like you’ve been fully immersed into their world, battered and bruised by the music, needing to take a breath, but willingly so – happy to have endured through the experience.