Lusitania
Lusitania [LP; King of the Monsters]

Lusitania might be the heaviest release yet for Cerbs, its black- and death-metal underpinnings smashed against a brick wall of continuous rhythmic pummel. When the drums get ripping and the guitar leads start slithering over the base of the supporting players it all seems like too much. Then the dirge sets in. Just as heavy, it menaces in a more primordial way. Guitar strings squeal for justice, high hats flail, ever-present bass forms a concrete core and, every so often, we get a diabolical crackle-croak or two. I got a Dystopia vibe from the cover art, and a post-power violence/doom feel creeps into the arrangements. It’s all over the map though. There are names I could pull out of the ol’ hat but these days metal is everywhere, in everything, and as a result everyone is starting to sound like everything, with few exceptions. Lusitania succeed because even if they don’t possess the most distinct template, they rip a lot of veins out while they play, and when you listen to them you bleed with them to a certain extent. It’s powerful stuff that toys with the black-metal format in all manner of mischievous ways to boot. There also is an uncommon patience at work. Young bands don’t tend to wade in long periods of noisy purgatory, particularly on their debut album, in order to lend that extra dose of mood. Lusitania do just that and fade out the first side of vinyl rather than blasting the wax to bits. Side B is sick as syphilis though, with a few traditional heavy cuts followed sonics straight outta the junkyard and a nice, dark noise-prog-metal drone waiting to ensnare your senses. So either way tension is high, emotions on the brink of spilling into sheer panic, you might say. When high-level metal bands start coming out of Arizona you know the country is on the cusp of a metal takover. Bring back Metal X!!!

Cerberus

Cerberus seeks to document the spate of home recorders and backyard labels pressing limited-run LPs, 7-inches, cassettes, and objet d’art with unique packaging and unknown sound. We love everything about the overlooked or unappreciated. If you feel you fit such a category, email us here.

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