HEKTIKS - Obliteration EP
My friend (who is probably the best drummer I know) introduced me to the drummer of HEKTIKS as "one of the best drummers I've ever met" in passing at K-Town Hardcore Fest this year, after their bands had shared the stage in HEKTIKS' hometown of Vienna, Austria a few weeks earlier. High praise, so obviously I made a note to check them out when I got home, and I wish I hadn't dragged my feet so much because the sound of this release is like a blown out, distorted balm for my soul. A whiplash-inducing number of drum changes rip you through six tracks in roughly as many minutes, basically necessitating an immediate replay the moment it ends (wish I could say "flip the tape right back over" but regrettably I'm reviewing digitally – planning to track down a copy of this physical tape ASAP for the full experience). One of my favourite things is when the drums on a recording sound like the drummer is going apeshit trying to fight their way out of a cardboard box, and we've got that here, along with piercing feedback, perfectly nasty guitar and bass tones and tortured vocals. They've clearly put a lot of work into nailing the classic crasher sound, but it feels fresh and not too LARP-y. If you are the type of freak whose jaw instantly relaxes when you hear CONFUSE you will probably wanna check this out.
studsandswords