It isn’t often I am privy to a cassette release, in fact, until I’d came across Axecatcher’s Sparks & Spears I really hadn’t even considered that the possibility of a release on the format. Though, somehow it has survived onto today (thanks completely to the thriving punk/hardcore/stoner/black metal underground – maybe a little thanks to the artsy folk rock UG as well) and I couldn’t be any happier.
To me Sparks & Spears doesn’t really describe the lyrical content of the four maddening tracks included on this EP. Instead, it more relates to the insane drug-fuelled confidence and pace of it all. Axecatcher’s goal is extremely clear - to get your blood pumping. No doubt, this entire release is meant as a preview for their live shows. Tracks such as the opening ‘Circle Pit Roller Derby’ are evidence of this simply by title alone. I can only assume that if one was to attend, they might come back beaten and bloody by a drunken blood-crazed crowd.
This small, though entertaining offering from Irish Label Savour Your Scene Records, is perfectly suited for the hardcore mosh scene. Being as Sparks & Spears is on a more ‘tough’ format – cassette-, it seems that perhaps Axecatcher knew that only the rough-and-tumble types could get their hands on this release. Though I’m not of that sort, I’m extremely happy to have experienced what this act has to offer.
