Album Review: Full Of Hell - 'Full Of Hell & Merzbow'

Containing more energy than an overzealous teen on a Red Bull bender, Full Of Hell’s collaboration with Japanese noise merchant Merzbow is an assertive aural sledgehammer that smacks between the ears.

Intense, engaging and simply threatening, this 11-track collection is bloody refreshing. Finally, a band that fits into the “young brigade” category that doesn’t rely on “faux” qualities to deliver the aggression – sorry, but we’re all dumber for hearing some of the breakdown-heavy, chugg fests that have invaded the musical piles in 2014.

Extreme music, like all genres, needs a healthy turnover – an assimilation and transition from old to new. Full Of Hell are doing their bit to bridge the gap.

It’s a neat musical cocktail that doesn’t come on too strong in some areas, while too weak in others. Part grind, part hardcore, and part powerviolence, the album’s biggest appeal is found in its purpose. Aligning with Merzbow gives the tracks a larger experimental element in addition to an expanse on the overall sound, which offers the listener more variety. Full Of Hell have always produced powerful music, but the riffs and impact were always good but not great. Here, the balance is simply right.

‘Burst Synapse’, ‘Gordian Knot’ and ‘Humming Miter’ are over before the finger leaves the play button. ‘Blue Litmus’ is the perfect single (if we can refer to it as such?) as it’s the ideal length, with the right amount of sonic chaos and destruction.

‘Raise Thee, Great Wall, Bloody And Terrible’ is the first point where the Merzbow influence becomes most prominent through the agency of a noisy interlude. ‘Ludjet Av Gud’, at five-and-a-half minutes, is a little underwhelming and drawn out for an experimental track, but it’s tolerable within the context of what precedes it.

In a related side-note, a cursory study of the group’s Facebook bio, which reads: “Band members: 4” is equally representative of what Full Of Hell are about. There are no egos or need for musician identities to always be at the forefront. Let the music do the talk in...and it’s emphatic here.

If you want something stock-standard and 'so-so' heavy without being threatening chuck on a Chelsea Grin CD. For music that is challenging, engaging and offers an inclusive listen, Full Of Hell and Merzbow have combined to create a solid starting point.

Fast, heavy, precise – the adjectives are easy and deserved. The Full Of Hell & Merzbow collaboration had the potential to excel and the possibility to fail. Fortunately, the former has prevailed.

1. Burst Synapse

2. Gordian Knot

3. Humming Miter

4. Blue Litmus

5. Raise Thee, Great Wall, Bloody And Terrible

6. Thrum In The Deep

7. Shattered Knife

8. Mute

9. High Fells

10. Ludjet Av Gud

11. Fawn Heads And Unjoy