Portland, Oregon-based DIY label Accident Prone Records has just released a new split between Austin, Texas’ Blk Ops (with ex-members of Kill The Client and others), and San Diego, California’s Cave Bastard (with ex-members of Cattle Decapitation and more). Just four songs from each band, and a limited vinyl run of just 300 copies (plus it is available digitally of course), with a total playing time of less than twenty-five minutes. Of the two bands, it is Blk Ops that is the most interesting – any band where a Theremin is listed is always going to get my attention, and when it is a trio who are creating a sound such as this one then even more so. They are attempting to weave together a sonic landscape taking inspiration from noise metal, doom, grind, and movies, and they have created something that is of real interest to those who want their metal to be a little more extreme. In comparison, Cave Bastard are probably heavier, but without as much invention as those on Side A, with a distinct leaning towards doom, even when they are playing more quickly than would normally be expected within the genre.
Overall, it is an interesting release, without being indispensable and might be worth checking out the digital versions if you want to discover some new bands – there are also other releases available here https://accidentpronerecords.bandcamp.com/
