I have stated before in reviews on this estimable site that I believe music and the enjoyment of it is situational. In the same way the fact that you arrive home in your beaten up car at midnight after a four-hour drive screaming along to Under the Sign of the black Mark at the top of your lungs does not mean that you greet Quorthon with the same glee when you turn your ignition the following morning at 6:30 am. Well maybe you do.

There is a time and place for the enjoyment of music to finally cut to the chase. I got this album by UK two piece (like a saucy sludgy bikini) Shrykull a couple of weeks ago. Due to other albums demanding my ears I gave it a cursory listen and, as it did not fit the mood I was in at the time I moved it to one side like peas on my plate. I fucking love peas though!

So gentle reader imagine my surprise yesterday when I hit play whilst having a workout in the gym (ooh so tough and hard) .  I had to do a cardio session. I don’t like cardio. All of a sudden my legs were spinning like Scooby and Shaggy’s when the ghost of a lighthouse keeper is chasing them.

So, what got me all of a tizzy you demand (maybe demand is a little strong).

Well Shrykull Kez Whelan (drums and Vox) and Will Powell (guitar and vox) produce a filthy blend of spiky blackened sludgy grind. Eagle eyed lowenders amongst you will notice your compatriots are missing from this line up. As seems to be the case often these days there is no bass. Blatant Bassism at work! Someone call H.R.!

Luckily Will tunes his guitar so low the strings must be slapping him in the shins!  “A Glint in the Basillisk’s Eye” starts with a wrecking ball heavy doom riff that slapped me round the head before taking off into a rumbling punky sludgegrind rager.

That is the best way to describe the whole album. It is like the gnarliest crust and grind bands got together to jam with Hellhammer and early Deicide. The twin vocals don’t fight, they just gang up on the listener so the deep gutturals and the high end barks hit you in a pincer movement.

My favourite track at the moment – it has changed over multiple listens- is “Astral Mutiny” . It starts with a groovy almost haphazard stoner riff before launching into a speed death song with real groove – think Jungle Rot but with grind vocals and then a slamming break. Proper naughty!

Find the right time and place for this album and unleash the side of you that is hidden from your nan!

(8/10 Matt Mason)

https://www.facebook.com/shrykull

https://shrykull.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-subconscious-realms