Sometimes an album comes along which seems to redefine what you thought possible in music, and completely recalibrates the current music surroundings to provide a wholly fresh outlook on what is possible. On Fleshwork, Pupil Slicer emerge from a haze of grindcore, savage industrial elements, all mixed in a blackgaze grinder to provide what may be the most eye-opening release this year.
Taking no prisoners from the off with the razor cutting ‘Heather’ slicing a sharp incision through your brain, its intense rush hurtling headlong into chaos within. ‘Gordian’ is a hurdy gurdy blast of sickness, its keening riff playing off Kate Davies’ incredible vocals. Possessing a scream that could strip the walls, it’s a primal roar of pure fury. On ‘Sacrosant’ it feels as if everything is about to fall apart with the vocals forming the central core that just about keeps everything moving in one direction.
‘Innocence’ slows proceedings down a tad, but this just serves to make the band sound that much heavier. That’s before they become completely unhinged on ‘Black Scrawl’. It’s a deliciously human sound, even if we are maybe too scared to admit it. Pupil Slicer tap into emotions usually kept well hidden but like in the clean vocal section on ‘Nomad’, sometimes they emerge blinking into the daylight.
After the savage title track, there’s a strange moment of melody as ‘White Noise’ cascades out in a whirl of beautiful blackgaze. It’s a welcome respite, even if it does sound somewhat unusual from what has gone before. Fear not though, and take a breath on this moment of joyous confusion though, as final track ‘Cenote’ aims to rip your eyes of your body with its ferocity.
There’s not much more to be said than you would be remiss to check this album out. Pupil Slicer have delivered an incredible album which defies description and transcends any genre conventions. It’s also a bleeding scab of a record, and we all know a scab just needs to be scratched, itched, and pulled. Put it on at your next dinner party, and watch the horror and confusion as you revel in the delightful chaos and noise.
