‘Ekbom’ is the French band’s 10th album in 24 years and still rather visceral after all this time. Which is rather apt when you consider the syndrome the album is named after. While Fabien Desgardins may have departed since their last release, there have been no other line changes with founding member Julien Truchan (vocals) joined by Emmanuel Dalle (guitars), Pierre Arnoux (bass) and Kévin Paradis (drums).
The album opens with the slightly discordant and very eerie sounding “Prodrome”, which immediately has my flesh crawling with the sound of scuttling bug, but as soon as it drops into “Scars” where Kévin’s drum blasting at skin flaying speed matches the ferocious guitar riffing.
‘Ekbom’ is the French band’s 10th album in 24 years and still rather visceral after all this time. Which is rather apt when you consider the syndrome the album is named after. While Fabien Desgardins may have departed since their last release, there have been no other line changes with founding member Julien Truchan (vocals) joined by Emmanuel Dalle (guitars), Pierre Arnoux (bass) and Kévin Paradis (drums).
The album opens with the slightly discordant and very eerie sounding “Prodrome”, which immediately has my flesh crawling with the sound of scuttling bug, but as soon as it drops into “Scars” where Kévin’s drum blasting at skin flaying speed matches the ferocious guitar riffing.
The pace on “Morgue” is unrelenting, with Julien spitting out the lyrics in screams and shouts along with the guttural growls. To be brutally honest I wouldn’t have been able to tell you whether he was singing in English or French on “Le Vice des Entrailles” even if I tried, which at the end of the day is of little consequence when you consider the aural assault taking place.
Archspire’s Oliver Peters adds his dulcet tones to the barked vocals on “Nothing Left to Fear”, where the rather catchy chorus has a slightly bouncy texture to its delivery.
The title track “Ekbom” feels almost sedate at this point, as the drumming isn’t just a constant blast but intricate rolls over the toms while the footwork has a staccato to give it even more colour.
Nimble fingers are required to play as many notes as there are in each grinding riff on “Metastasis”, and it becomes even more apparent when things are slowed down for the bridge halfway through the song before breaking into the lead.
There’s a slight groove to “A Reason for Treason”, but it’s still played and a manic speed to prevent you from getting too conformable while it makes your ears bleed.
On “Fame of the Grotesque” we have a guest appearance by Blockheads vocalist Xavier Chevalier to complement Julien’s growls on this extremely quick and concise song.
Definitely not the FF song, “Scapegoat” may have a nice clicky kick sound, but the mutilated snare still snaps through the low guttural growls and high-pitched squeals with ease.
There’s a punky feel to the guitars on “Flesh Against Flesh”, even though the drumming is still unrelentingly grindcore with unabated blasting and constant double kicks. Almost ballad-like “Mother Earth, Mother Whore” has a slow steady rhythm being pounded out on the drums as the guitars wind themselves up to crash into the main over blasting and rapidly spat out shrieked growls.
The album is just over half an hour long with the twelve songs packing in more riffs and drum beats than some albums are able to in over an hour, but then that’s exactly what they are after speed and fury played with utmost precision.
(8/10 Marco Gaminara)
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