EP REVIEW: Berenice – Berenice
Having only formed in 2023, BERENICE are wasting absolutely no time in bringing their furious grind and hardcore-infused sludge noise to the masses. Their debut EP on APF Records sets out their angry stall in unequivocal fashion across five tracks of unapologetically intense music.
Opening with the two-minute hammer blow of Problems, the band absolutely fly out of the blocks – a brief flurry of guitars and drums before galloping off into a crusty maelstrom of hardcore punk. The guitar tone is filthy, the vocals are raw, the drums and bass rampant. Despite its short running time there is also still time for an appropriately horrible breakdown in the last few seconds that will have you grimacing with glee.
With the band citing influences such as NAILS, GATECREEPER and POWER TRIP as inspiration for their music, you’ll understand just how uncompromising this stuff is, although you can also add NAPALM DEATH and BRUTAL TRUTH to that list, especially if third track Torment is anything to go by. Here the band hit a creative peak which sees them blending grindcore, hardcore and death metal perfectly, again creating an incredibly intense but satisfying soundscape. Jim’s vocal performance on this one is a particular highlight and will have you shaking your head at the range of “bleeeeurghs“ spewing from his mouth.
The rest of the band are also hardly resting on their laurels. The double kick work of drummer Aaron at the end of Broken needs to be heard to be believed and his playing is an absolute tour de force throughout the whole record. The dirty riffing of guitarists Charlie and Dave and bassist Calum switches from frantic hardcore power chords to chugging down-tuned grooves and full-on discordant grindcore racket, sometimes all in the space of one minute. This approach means that, despite its relatively short running time, this EP really feels longer than it actually is, the various influences on display here adding variety and listenability (is that a word? It is now!) to songs that, in the wrong hands, could have ended up sounding repetitive or derivative.
Final track Sorrow opens like a hidden track from ENTOMBED’s Wolverine Blues or BLACK BREATH’s Heavy Breathing and finishes with another satisfyingly huge, doomy breakdown, Jim’s voice again going to places not many other vocalists can visit while still retaining their vocal chords. There is a real DIY feel to this EP, probably not surprising given the band recorded and produced it themselves at their own studio, although that’s not to undermine the sonic quality of the recording, which is crusty enough to sound as nasty as it needs to, without sounding so sludgy that it’s like a tape getting chewed up in your player.
Despite it being over before you’ve blinked, this is an enticing glimpse at the horrors BERENICE are no doubt going to be unveiling on their debut full-length, a record we are now awaiting with baited (black) breath.
Rating: 8/10
Berenice is out now via APF Records.
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