Now this is an intriguing split: three songs from Legendary Japanese blackthrash fiends Abigail spliced together with seven from up and coming UK deathcrust squad Winds Of Genocide, and all wrapped in a superb black and white cover by SICKNESS 666 on famous Thai underground label Witchammer Productions. Sound cool? I thought so.

Winds Of Genocide lead off with ‘Procession Of Spectres’ and establish their sound in one thick black wave. This is downtuned, dark and (you’ve guessed it) apocalyptic stuff. Kind of Bolt Thrower pie with d-beat chunks and plenty of thick crust atop. The riffs get into a groove in the space of a second or two, pick up an ominous head of speed and then just roll over you like bone crunching filthy tank tracks. By the time the second song ‘Into The Darkness Of Eternal Nuclear Winter’ finishes the band have established that they really are worth wrecking a few braincells for. Firstly they write actual songs with actual riffs! Seriously though, they do; these great crusty things built by guitarist Glynn Hall rattle and thunder around your brain for days with enough power to break rivets free if they weren’t held together by such a forceful rhythm section of  bassist Dan H and drummer Linus. Then sat in driving seat of this oily, death encrusted war machine is front woman Kat Shevil whose frightening deep barks, howls and rising, raw screams are just superb for this stuff. The band also has the natural feel for how to keep things interesting without over complicating a style that thrives on its direct, bludgeoning attack; judicious tempo changes, the odd key shift, the crusty punk d-beat energy always burning and just a sinewy feel to the music like a mud caked reptile writhing inside some rusty machine. Just check out that breakdown on ‘Wardogs of the Wasteland’ for example. They can even operate at doom/death speeds like on ‘Plague Of Devouring Pestilence’ which curiously reminds me a touch of first album Paradise Lost (back when they were a death metal band, kiddies). Nice production too from Bri Doom, excellent balance between clarity and sludge.

Top Notch.

Then cometh triumvirate Abigail. Now I’ll let you into a secret here: I am probably the only person around here who knows of Abigail but somehow has also utterly failed to hear anything by them before this, which considering their catalogue stretches back to 1992 and is the kind which gives completists nightmares is kind of an achievement…! Ahem. Anyway if you are like me then Abigail have a sound which is very different from Winds Of Genocide but is so complimentary that they make a perfect punked up pairing.  Yasuyuki, Youhei and Jero rip out that wonderful ‘don’t give a fuck’ heads down Hellhammer meets Venom sound with strangled vocals deep in the mix. Basic yes but full of energy and vigour and personality. ‘Suicidal Warfare’ breaks in with a chainsaw riff all Morbid Tales style with stop/start structure straight out of the ‘Into Crypt Of Rays’ which really gets you in the mood before the brilliant ‘Black Fire Of Darkness’ lashes out. With some punk-distilled blackthrash ‘n’ roll style and dirty riffing all the way this is just a masterclass in nasty basic metal. Superb. They close with Hell Of Destruction which just about finishes me off with a perfect balance of primitive thrash and real classy guitar. Oh and the production is spot on too.

All in all, just a fantastic split of dirt, filth and energy. And songs. Don’t forget that. Dirty, nasty, primitive, yeah, but you wouldn’t want it any other way, right? Right!?

(8.5/10 Gizmo)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Winds-of-Genocide/187999007899518

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Abigail/147619085265699