ALBUM REVIEW: Weeping Choir – Full Of Hell

May 17, 2019 Abi Coulson

It’s no surprise with the state of the world today that music is becoming ever enraged and more caustic with each passing year and with Weeping Choir, FULL OF HELL are seriously pushing the boundaries of brutality to deliver this obliterating masterpiece of insane experimental, caustic blackened-sludgy-grinding fury. Recorded by the legendary Kurt Ballou and recently signed to Relapse Records, FULL OF HELL bring it with no holds barred and are more hellish than ever. Brace yourself for 30 minutes of the gnashing teeth of the hounds of hell.

The explosive opener grinding, blackened Burning Myrrh kicks things off with insanely pummelling drums and bright cymbal attacks from the beast that is David Bland and Spencer Hazards tremolo riffs with pure evil screeching and guttural growls from guest vocalist Alex Hughes of INSECT WARFARE battling with those of Dylan Walker. It’s a promising glimpse into the sheer chaos to follow and Haunted Arches indeed follows in the same blistered and bloody vein. Thundering Hammers slows the pace down a smidge to a steady gallop through thunderous drumming with complex fills and rolls aplenty chugging riffs remain consistent with a progression from more guttural growls into tortured snarls.

Interlude Rainbow Coil is a descent into a tumultuous cesspool of violently uncomfortable metallic sounding power electronics with rumbling drums and demonic howls reminiscent of collaborations with THE BODY and MERZBOW. Aria Of Jeweled Tears follows on in the same full pelt insanity as preceding tracks and features the power electronics of LIMBS BIN and builds to a breakneck climax with rapid-fire drumming and screeching. Downward brings CONVERGE-style discordant guitar tones to the mix over what might be the most disgustingly vomited vocals yet and breaks down into punky hardcore shouts and d beats for a nice bit of ‘fun’ and variety and short reprieve from the ear bleeding shrieks and gut punching growls.

The longest and slowest track on the album at six minutes Armory Of Obsidian Glass starts with droning, distorted fuzzy guitar and drawn out anguished snarls and steady palm muting before other-worldly wailing haunted multiple layered vocals from rising experimental sensation Kristin Hayter AKA LINGUA IGNOTA creep-in-making for a jarring uneasy experience. A calming posty lull with gentle slow strums is another well received moment of solace before the insanity ascends with more melodic layered vocal effects that are almost church like and are brilliantly juxtaposed against monstrous vocals before melting into a final closure of frenzied feedback

After the relative calm of Armory Of Obsidian Glass, Silmaril launches into brutal, guttural old-school death metal lightning fast blast beats and a deluge of distorted guitar dissolving into torturous vile bellows. Angels Gather Here is anything but angelic but rather a slow distorted trudge through a sludgy electronic quagmire with the duelling low and high pitch vocals from Walker and bassist Samuel DiGristine that FULL OF HELL are known for reduced to a crawl and controlled slow but heavy drumming and electronic feedback and white noise it has a tasty GODFLESH industrial edge to add another element into this deliciously chaotic cocktail. Unmercifully bringing another aural assault wave Ygraumal The Many rages on with old-school death metal vocals and plenty more distortion insanely fast double pedal blast beats and high cymbal crashes along with more discordance from DiGristine’s saxophone and schizophrenic riffage. It’s difficult to sum up the carnage so really a wall of sheer brutality should suffice. Cellar Of Doors is equally unapologetic not veering far of the grinding path and closing the album with the same ferociousness as the opener.