Trading Louisiana sludge for a more European soundscape, black metal act Scour is the latest project from Phillip H. Anselmo, the former frontman of Texan bruisers Pantera and New Orleans supergroup Down. Although quite some distance away from his usual musical stamping ground, this isn’t the first time Anselmo has turned his hand towards black metal, but where the likes of Eibon and Viking Crown merely laid the groundwork, it’s with Scour where all the pieces have finally come together.

After releasing a number of EPs since their inception in 2015, the band’s full length studio debut Gold (Nuclear Blast Records) is an absolute monster and arguably Anselmo’s most accomplished post-Pantera/Down performance to date. Far from being a one man show, however, Scour’s musicians absolutely have to take their share of the glory here. The partnership of Phillip H Anselmo & The Illegals guitarist and former Cattle Decapitation bassist Derek Engemann and Mark Kloeppel of Misery Index sounds ready to draw blood, while bassist John Jarvis from Agoraphobic Nosebleed and his cousin Adam Jarvis of Pig Destroyer make up a hell of a rhythm section.

Considering the band’s Louisiana ties, it’s no surprise to find a big Goatwhore influence on the record along with a healthy dose of thrash, death, black metal, and hardcore punk. Opener ‘Cross’ is a whirlwind of savage riffs and tremolo picking, Anselmo’s voice unrecognisable from his Pantera days while ‘Blades’ is equally as barbaric, Anselmo shrieking his vocals in a higher register this time.

‘Infusorium’ does most damage with its slower groove and a fantastic solo from Kloeppel while ‘Coin’ switches between a mid-paced Satyricon feel and violent expulsions of speed, Anselmo in real danger of completely destroying whatever might be left of his vocal cords while Exodus and Slayer guitarist Gary Holt adds to the menace. ‘Evil’ and ‘Devil’ both sound exactly like you’d expect, the lyrics to ‘Hell’ do not suggest a family picnic in the sunshine, and good luck trying to keep up with ‘Invoke’.

Neither a ballad nor a Spandau Ballet cover, the title track is just over four minutes of outright hostility while the darkly melancholic ‘Serve’ ends the album on yet another high point. Portentous interludes ‘Ornaments’ and ‘Contaminated’ help break up the record into sections, the last – and arguably most effective – being ‘Angels’ with its sautillé violin bowing reminiscent of something from a horror film. Perfect for a record which would like nothing more than to melt your eardrums and smash your skull into tiny, tiny pieces. 

Buy the album here:
https://scour.bfan.link/gold

8 / 10
GARY ALCOCK
http://www.ghostcultmag.com/tag/gary-alcock