Black Elk

Cacophony never sounded so good. Creatingc music that is spiky and angular while still maintaining a solid rhythm that is inescapable (read: making pseudo-artsy metal) has only truly been accomplished by few. And while the likes of Neurosis instantly comes to mind, their brand of fury is only closest to this eponymous effort in terms of spirit and drive. Musically, Black Elk take a more punk rock approach to their obvious Melvins influence. The majority of the tracks here come across like Black Flag-era Henry Rollins fronting At The Drive-In during a set of Minor Threat covers. It doesn’t sound like much of a stretch but it truly is unforgettable. Blasts of old school hardcore passion lead into heavy, thunderous progressions before twisting yet again into controlled chaos and noise. It’s as if Black Elk are turning their progressive influence into white noise, as opposed to intricately carved passages, a sort of punk rock Mastodon, if you will. Impressively though, these songs are the strangely smoothest amalgamation of subgenres despite the overall frenzy. This is one of very few albums to truly capture the pandemonium and danger that some bands are capable of in a live capacity. One almost feels as vulnerable and threatened as when standing amongst the masses, fending off stage divers.