Album...................................split
Year......................................2023
Genre...................................crust
Format..................................vinyl EP
Country.................................Portugal/Belgium, Germany
Label.....................................Loner Cult, Profane Existence, Not Enough, Scream, Deviance, Breeding for Extinction, Up The Punx, Missing The Point and Phobia Records
Well for me this one, besides Crutches new album was definitely the most anticipated record of last year and quite some time passed from the first announcement that this little monster of split is in preparation until it finally comes out in March this year.. anyhow I think that all the waiting was worth it because we get short but great and furious material by both bands..
to be honest, even they are both crust/grind veterans on the scene with 25+ year “careers” behind them and maybe a choice for this split is somehow obvious and natural, I somehow didn’t expect those two on the same record, I can’t explain why but would never have thought of that.. but again it come like a pleasant surprise and it works just well like actually all Visions Of War splits in the past which they have really decent amount of in their discography so far (just think of the ones with Olho De Gato, Mass Genocide Process, Cop On Fire or more recent with Arrogant and Hellkrusher, and there is one with raw and crazy Okotta - brilliant, right!?).. so let’s start with record itself which comes on black vinyl with simple but nice white cardboard cover with front artwork by Jimmy McGraw which is sure nice and fits this split perfectly but I like the back cover art more which is, I believe, made by Steve of War in his recognizable and more crustier style..
there’s no classic A and B side on this vinyl but we have to start from somewhere so let’s go with legendary grind/crust maniacs from Portugal, mighty Simbiose first.. two tracks, freshly recorded in 2022, all together somewhere about 5 mins of pure energy and good old school of just slightly metal influenced crust this time (even if they were often labeled as grind band), simple but effective just how is always welcome here at crucified freedom headquarters.. first song “Ditaduras” is fast, hammering attack and proper opening for this split, right what you were expecting from such band and is on their native language which sure does brings to these familiar Simbiose atmosphere and spirit a lot, while the second one, ”Blind Lead The Blind” is on English and somehow more anthemic and “melodic” if I can say like that so in traces brings some Misery, Extinction of Mankind, Kontatto and Campus Sterminii vibes from their latest albums..
on the other side even better than I expected material by Visions of War, 3 short, faster than ever songs by them, recorded in 2019 but still unpublished until now, supposedly from the same recording session as for split LP with Arrogant.. if I may notice, something happened with their "vokills" here so they sound somehow different than usual, rawer and now they really do kills.. opening track “Bulldozer” is the longest and just as its name says, it will run you over like heavy machinery but at the over the top speed.. second one “Love/Hate” is short (45 sec) attack on your nerves and all other senses dealing with physical and psychological relations between people.. and for the end “Boredumb” which closes this record in the same tone, fast and brutal like hell and left you wondering what the hell just hit you and after some time when you bring back your senses it will made you put this record on repeat countless times more, that’s for sure..
for the end some boring but important technicalities, this was released in cooperation of many diy labels across the continent and even one from the States and those are Loner Cult, Profane Existence, Not Enough, Scream, Deviance, Breeding for Extinction, Up The Punx, Missing The Point and Phobia Records in 540 copies on black 7” vinyl and is still available from the mentioned ones but as it seems also is good spread out all around so it is easy to find but still, friendly advice is to hurry up because it’s hot .. I got mine from the Phobia Records distro from Czech R. for the price of 7 euros and on their bandcamp page is offered for free or “name your price” download also..
awesome little bomb of split, one of those records which I will never regret buying it, so give it a try, support the bands and labels and get yourself this crust classic..
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