ALBUM REVIEW: Mirrors – Pupil Slicer

Is it really any surprise that a band with a name like PUPIL SLICER are so utterly vicious? On Mirrors, their debut full-length, the London-based trio mix mathcore, grindcore and more, to dizzying effect. It’s a record which draws comparisons to the likes of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, CONVERGE, and ROLO TOMASSI, among others. Obviously, those are some huge names, but somehow, and staggeringly for a debut, they don’t seem much of a stretch for PUPIL SLICER. Mirrors makes for an often abrasive, at times emotional, and most of all a consistently mesmerising 38 minutes.

After some brief ominous swells, the record’s opening track Martyrs sets the tone for the chaos to follow. From the outset, it’s hard to believe the band are a three-piece, given the sheer amount of noise they make. It’s also impossible to ignore their impressive technicality as they nail intricate riffs and manic time signature changes with ease. Stabbing Spiders which follows is even more violent. Clocking in at just 48 seconds, its neck-snapping savagery feels like the sonic equivalent of getting your hair caught in a ceiling fan. Third track L’Appel Du Vide tops off this great opening run nicely. It’s notable for featuring guest vocals from Carson Pace of THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS – an obvious fit for PUPIL SLICER. Together, Pace and the band turn L’Appel… into a firm overall highlight on the record, with eerie clean vocals which strain through the mayhem.

Pace may compliment things, but that doesn’t take away from the stand-out performance of vocalist Kate Davies. On Mirrors, she processes and exorcises “many painful and deeply personal experiences.” As well as this, she looks to wider global injustices and oppression, perhaps most notably on fourth track Panic Defence – a reference to the gay and trans panic defence policies which still exist in parts of the US. These fuel a fiery, heartfelt and attention-grabbing performance. Most impressive of all is the fact that this is actually Davies‘ first time as the band’s lyricist, and that she never set out to be their vocalist either.

PUPIL SLICER‘s capacity for dizzying mathcore is undeniable, but part of what makes Mirrors so gripping is that the band also give listeners plenty to grab onto amid the chaos. Tracks like Husk and Wounds Upon My Skin feature moments of headbanging, riff-heavy groove. Elsewhere, sixth track Vilified tears along with a more straight-up bouncy D-beat feel. There are even points where the odd melody pokes through, such as on L’Appel… as mentioned, as well as later on Collective Unconscious. All this helps keep Mirrors from becoming a bewildering wash of odd time signatures and mathy glitching. If anything, it actually serves to sharpen the sheer violence even more.

Mirrors also benefits from the band’s solid use of dynamics. Several tracks end with moments of quieter, electronic soundscapes which provide welcome breaks amid the auditory assault. Again, these ensure that the band never lose their abrasive edge, and help the record to flow well. The album’s 38-minute runtime is also a good choice. It ensures the band don’t overstay their welcome, instead leaving listeners wanting more rather than feeling exhausted.

Most of all though, what keeps Mirrors so captivating is that the quality doesn’t drop for a second. Highlights as the record goes on include Worthless and Interlocutor. Both of these show the trio at their most mathy and deranged, and both are excellent. Another standout is the album’s tenth track, Mirrors Are More Fun Than Television. This one clocks in at seven minutes and delivers on all fronts. There’s tonnes of groove, plenty of panicked mathcore, and a grand atmospheric outro which even evokes the likes of DEAFHEAVEN or ALCEST.

These comparisons are even more pronounced on the album’s staggering closer, Collective Unconscious. Another lengthy track, this one may have a shout for the best of all. It’s a dynamic piece with quiet verses punctuated by moments of DILLINGER-esque savagery. These give way to more post-black metal blast beats and tremolo picking, building to an emotion-drenched crescendo. This eventually drops to more quiet soundscapes, leaving Davies to close things out with devastating cries of despair. It’s a deeply affecting finale which brings to an end a record that has had its listeners hanging on its every twist and turn from start to finish.

Overall, Mirrors is nothing short of incredible. It’s up there with the likes of VEIN, END and FAWN LIMBS as one of the best and most visceral debuts of recent years. Moreover, when compared to the earliest offerings of a band like CONVERGE for example, the prospect of where PUPIL SLICER might end up should they follow a similar trajectory is beyond exciting.

Rating: 9/10

Mirrors is set for release on March 12th via Prosthetic Records.

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