ALBUM REVIEW: Age of the Idiot – Henry Kane
Sweden’s HENRY KANE, a one man affair that is the brainchild of prolific death metal musician Jonny Pettersson, is perhaps one of the more impressive grindcore acts to form in the last few years. With the bands debut full length, Den förstörda människans rike, back in 2017, HENRY KANE laid down some very strong groundwork on which to build a decent reputation within the underground, with a great split with PROLEFEED later that same year solidifying their sound further. The band’s latest album, Age of the Idiot, takes the foundations laid on those two releases and develops them further, resulting in one of the more memorable grindcore records of the past few years.
En evig plågan starts the album on a high note, with chaotic, frenzied guitars, punishing drums and acerbic vocals providing a fierce, aggressive opening clarion. Tidens tand and Veil of Hatred follow in a similar vein, with blisteringly fast, feral music with a thick, sludgy guitar tone and thunderous, bubbling bass hooks, giving both of these songs a massive, crushing sound that grab the listeners attention. Den felande länken, a short and feral track, is a lean, bestial blast of brutal grind which goes straight for the jugular, leaving a powerful impression.
After the short aural assault of Embraced by Nothing, the albums title track provides a relatively lengthy, surprisingly epic affair, with a heady, grandiose edge that sets it apart from the albums earlier outings, without sacrificing any of the intensity that marked those first tracks. It’s a monstrous, mid-paced powerhouse with great, rabid sections that work quite well. Disposable Humans is a much more groove-laden slab of savagery with razor sharp guitars and a juddering time change that makes for a brilliant, engrossing listen. Entrenched in Nihilism, by far the albums longest track, featuring vocals from SOOTHSAYER‘s Liam Hughes, is easily one of the albums highlights, with soaring, bleak guitars, tight, punk-esque drumming and a dense bass line, with some impressive, weighty vocals making for a robust, powerful sound.
Mitt hjärtas mörker, My Sweet Escape, Keep Us from the Truth and No Road to Redemption all flash by in a blur of caustic, demented guitar hooks, juggernaut percussion and visceral vocal passages, with each adding a little depth to the album, with haunting flourishes, darker tones and more abrasive riffs all providing subtle, but imaginative, elements to the albums sound, making each of these offerings stand out from what has preceded them for all the right reasons.
March of the Dumb and By the Virtue of Hate further develop the records sound, with focused, meaty rhythms and a lighter, more sublime sound respectively, both making for a refreshing change of pace, whilst still possessing much of the grating, discordant side of the bands sound that has defined this albums sound. The more prominent use of melodies on the latter track in particular works extremely well, drawing the listener in. The duo of Liar oh Father the Liar and Snarans Ballad are both incredibly energetic and frenetic bursts of aggression, with the music descending into a whirlwind of dizzying, dissonant musicianship.
Take It Back and Welcome to Oblivion both utilise Punk and Hardcore elements to make for much more impressive and jarring numbers, peppering the music with intricate guitars and precise, authoritative drumming. Both tracks work well at this point of the album, and stand as two of the catchiest and most memorable affairs on the whole record, pulling the listener back into the record even at such a late juncture. The album comes to conclusion with a cover of Psykopaten by legendary Swedish punk band ASTA KASK, and sticks true to the original whilst adding a lean, acidic grindcore edge to the proceedings, making this an excellent way to end the record.
Age of the Idiot is far from your typical grindcore record. Although plenty of the songs have the sharp, polished sound of a modern grind record, there’s plenty of small, subtle elements thrown into the mix that make this stand apart from many of its contemporaries. There is a much more accessible, melodic sound featuring on many of the tracks, and a powerful, dirty, crust punk undercurrent giving Age of the Idiot a much sludgier feel at points. It’s a fantastic album that builds upon the many strengths of HENRY KANE‘s debut, leaving only lean and impressive music in its place.
Rating: 8/10
Age of the Idiot is out now via Transcending Obscurity Records.
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