EP REVIEW: Created Sick – God Complex

The underground hardcore scene in the north has proved itself in the last couple of years to be a breeding ground for filthy, brutal and downright heavy music, spawning artists such as LOATHE, LEECHED and others. One of the most recent bands along this vein is GOD COMPLEX, hailing from Merseyside. Their first singles, released last year, already found them a cult following, and earned them support slots up and down the country with VENOM PRISON, EMPLOYED TO SERVE, and others.

Their first EP, Created Sick, continues to forge forward in this manner with blistering hatred. The five tracks run up to just under twelve minutes, and the band, along with LOATHE guitarist and producer Erik Bickerstaffe, make sure that every second is pure sonic destruction. The opener and title track, Created Sick, fades in with echoed distortion straight into furious drums and frenzied screaming from vocalist Harry Rule, before descending into a bone-breaking beatdown, all in the space of one minute and fifteen seconds. It’s a shock to the system, but sets the tone and pace for the rest of the record.

Breeding Filth brings the same combination of riffy, hardcore rhythms and huge down-tuned beatdowns. According to guitarist Kyle Holt in a press release for the EP, “the subject matter was largely influenced by a news article on the Assad regime’s chemical weapons attack on a Syrian town called Khan Shaykhun in early 2017. Initially, focused on war atrocities, the track grew into a more encompassing commentary on the dark nature of humanity and how it shapes the world we live in.” These dark themes and the hatred surrounding them is evidenced in the visceral nature of the songs, throughout the EP.

From the production and the style of vocals, it’s evident that LOATHE are a big inspiration for GOD COMPLEX – but rather than copying them, they have developed a sound unique to themselves, defined by huge breakdowns and pummelling blast beats, ending up like a grotesque and beautiful lovechild of LOATHE and KNOCKED LOOSE. Moments in the EP shine through with originality, such as the third track, Stonehand, being a certain standout. Sections of isolated drums, coupled with anxiety-inducing, choppy rhythms, build up layered grooves that make it impossible to stay still. The breakdown in Slumlord is also worth mentioning, purely down to the fact that one can easily imagine how well this, and the rest of the EP, will translate to a live setting. The band have already gained a reputation for an energetic and pulverising live show, and the addition of these tracks to their set will surely see them gracing bigger and bigger stages in the coming months.

Created Sick is a monolithic first release for GOD COMPLEX. Furiously brutal, varied and well produced, fans of the genre and other underground bands will find plenty to appease them in this release. GOD COMPLEX have announced themselves to the world in a visceral fashion, and it seems unlikely that anyone will stand in their way.

Rating: 9/10

Created Sick is set for release on October 5th via Venn Records. 

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