It’s been four years since “harsh grinding death” quartet Full of Hell released ‘Rudiments of Mutilation’ and their sound has evolved and transformed into a beast that is almost unrecognisable to where they first started. Full of Hell have, of course, collaborated with the likes of Merzbow and The Body and it’s these partnerships that are no doubt responsible for the sound they’re now producing. They’re much more experimental and there are obvious elements of improvisation within their music that weren’t previously used. The band are grasping beyond the realms of metal on this release to create a powerful and impactful opus.

Dark, evil sounding and, at times, uncomfortable to listen to, ‘Trumpeting Ecstasy’ is unapologetically raw, yet well composed. The hellish atmospheres are intensified by the brief run time and manages to immerse itself completely under your skin in 11 short tracks. The record features some extremely high profile guest vocals from the likes of Aaron Turner (Isis), Nate Newton (Converge), Andrew Nolan (The Endless Blockade) and Canadian singer/songwriter Nicole Dollanganger. While the likes of Turner and Newton make for understandable choices, it’s difficult to see where Nicole would fit within the turbulent sound of Full of Hell. However, her dulcet tones set amongst the grating ambience works strangely well and adds to the nightmarish qualities of the title track.

This 24-minute album will no doubt become the band’s seminal record and is undoubtedly their best work to date. ‘Trumpeting Ecstasy’ is the pinnacle of Full of Hell’s evolution and is evidence of just how much they’ve matured as both musicians and people. This material is going to cause a storm live and it’s exciting to watch the band’s no-genres barred approach to taking metal and turning it on its. No doubt this will be the beginning of exciting things for the band.

(9/10 Angela Davey)

https://www.facebook.com/fullofhell

https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/trumpeting-ecstasy