After 12 years of warping the lines of genre, experimental noise project Palehorse are finally being paid their dues; with the release of the definitive album of their career, ‘Harm Starts Here’, they have been picked up by prestigious record label Candlelight after being recognised for the unbridled talent they possess as a music entity.
The five piece are certainly not afraid to mess around with sounds and styles, and there’s plenty to feast your ears on with this opus. Fuzz, industrial, static and pure chaos – it can all be found on this record. However, sifting through the layers of reverberations there are also some meaty, awe-inspiring riffs to be found; amongst the retinue of comical track names is ‘Don’t Shit My Bitch’ a song that is packed with a groove laden guitar line that lies somewhere between the realms of djent and sludge. It has to be heard to be believed.
The vocals make for an uncomfortable listen, but give the music a gritty edge that it would not otherwise occupy. When the nature of the lyrics – an account of UK political issues – is taken into account, it seems that no other vocal style would do them justice given the bleak subject matter. Palehorse are by no means a band that take themselves too seriously, however, their maelstrom of musical devastation is delivered with an air of carefree mischief.
For those whose first encounter with these guys is this album, then take the time to really listen to each track and familiarise yourself with their back catalogue; the music is all the more potent when you realise what an important influence they’ve been on the face of UK underground metal.
(8/10 Angela Davey)
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