Hardcore bruisers Twitching Tongues play belligerent metallic hardcore injected with elements of doom in this tasty live release. Raw and untamed, there are no click tracks or any post production tricks to shine up these gritty and nasty numbers. The balance on the album is impeccable, with every instrument given time to shine and just enough crowd noise. World War Live (Closed Casket Activities) flows well with enough atmosphere and crowd participation while being able to distinguish each instrument.
Recalling the solemn funeral hymns of Candlemass filtered through acts like New York’s Carnivore, there is little of these L.A. natives Californian sunshine to be had on this bleak release but that makes it all the better. Sure there are places where Colin Young’s voice is slightly off, but Twitching Tongues are a real band and seldom does this make a difference. Body blows like ‘Again And Again’ are fairly unremarkable but tracks like the soaring ‘Sleep’ shows what TT are all about, stomping doom riffage giving way to some dirty beatdowns. “I’ll be right back, I gotta take a piss” announces Young candidly. It’s a moment of levity between slabs of punishing downtuned aggression. It’s moments like that which sum up the dry sarcasm and acknowledge how pessimistic music can be uplifting and empowering, unlike the cretinus mosh-or-die machismo peddled by the likes of Emmure and company.
Recalling nineties stalwarts Life Of Agony, Twitching Tongues eschew generic thrash riffs, cries for unity and circle pits and the trappings of Metalcore which have overrun the scene with luddites in wife beater vests whose music can only convey anger and hatred. Their music is at once, sorrowful and full of regret but with uplifting melodies which will have hardcore fans punching the air. Young’s delivery is soulful and full of character even recalling Acid Bath’s Dax Riggs mixing power with vulnerability.
Nine songs of spit, sweat and blood mark this as an above average dose of hardcore doom which should gather attention from the metal and hardcore communities alive. Respect.
7.0/10.0
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ROSS BAKER
