This debut album from Liverpool quintet Loathe is very special indeed, and is going to make a lot of people stand up and take notice. It’s only thirty-five minutes long, but here is something that takes deathcore as a starting point and then promptly leaves that genre in a far more twisted state than one could ever imagine. Treated vocals, weird electronic sounds, moving from doom into frenetic death with hints of black metal, this is quite a statement. Apparently, this is a concept album, meandering into the depths of a dark, post-apocalyptic tale as it follows the adjacent timeline of two protagonists (A & B), who exist during a dystopian future, stricken by tragedy and the ever-looming apocalypse. Given that I only have a digital download I will have to take the record label’s word for it, but given what is going on musically it doesn’t surprise me at all.
This is bleak, it is dark, nihilistic and aggressive, yet is also always compelling and immediate. This is music that may well frighten many people, but for those with a more eclectic look on life are going to find a great deal to enjoy here. The only issue really is just how loud to play it, as my speakers don’t go up to eleven. Heavy bass lines dominate the sound, underpinning the crunching guitars as they downtune and lose all the dandruff. There’s no need to worry that they are going soft with the introduction to “Loath” itself, as they soon crank it up to let the listener know that they were just having some fun. There is plenty of light and shade, in true deathcore fashion, with different vocal styles being used, and the result is something very special indeed. They offer a complex sonic architecture which weaves together post-punk, hardcore, heavy electronics, djent and deathcore with a side of prog... melding their sonic threads into an anguished and searingly surreal entity which reels you deep into the abyss. You’ve been warned.
