HAIL VRASUBATLAT!
The veiled Portland collective holds numerous projects under its banner. Many acts cover raw black or death metal; some also delve into noise and power electronic acts. One of the relatively newer projects on Vrasubatlat's roster is the furious d-beat project, Pissblood. After releasing its debut in 2016, Fevered Dreams of Delirium, the now-quartet strikes again—this time with a proper full-length. The self-titled debut sees Pissblood expand on the foundational material of their 2016 arrival.
The comparison between Fevered Dreams of Delirium and the new self-titled is certainly interesting. Then a quintet, their early work tackled lyrical topics centered around decadence and perversion by way of Pier Paolo Pasolini's works. This new record, however, seems more like a nihilistic Scorched Earth Policy. Song titles like "Smashed Knees," Decimate/Crucify," and "Acid Burn" undoubtedly create that energy.
Still, digging past the titles and aesthetic reveals a more diverse musical arrangement. The band has always taken a classical approach to d-beat and punk. Yet, this time Pissblood channels a lot of Japanese d-beat (see Societic Death Slaughter or Disclose) in addition to American hardcore. This combination makes songs like "Decimate/Crucify" or "Eliminated Life" absolutely electric. While these are simply two examples, the entire album is filled with great moments. This record is essentially a sliding scale of these genre's tropes. Some songs lean heavily in crusty d-beat, others dive headfirst into hardcore—the balance on this record is staggering.
Check out a stream of Pissblood's eponymous album now ahead of its June 4 release. Physical formats will become available this month also.
