Following several releases in just the past year — including debut LP, We Deserve Our Failures, as well as their Songs for Cowards EP and some splits — Syracuse, NY's Bleak are already offering up their second full-length, No Light, No Tunnel.
Undeniably prolific, the band also manage to consistently surpass expectations with each new effort, and No Light, No Tunnel is no different. Here, Bleak venture into more chaotic and discordant territory while maintaining all of the dark, sludge-infused metallic hardcore aggression that anchors their sound.
Bleak have also welcomed back original vocalist Michael Watson, whose tortured shrieks add a new dynamic, complementing the band's harsh and dissonant intensity. This time around, the distressing misery that the aptly named band emanate is less brooding and more anxiously panicked, especially in comparison to their previous full-length. First track "Teeth" displays this fiercely frantic approach, containing odd-timed, angular guitar work.
The exceptionally visceral "Cut Throat Rapture" further ups the ante with a raw sense of urgency, while highlight "Needles" features intense, crushing grooves amongst the havoc. The twisted, jarring chaos plays off the overwhelmingly vicious, dismal tones in a meticulously composed way that just works. No Light, No Tunnel is yet another outstanding addition to Bleak's incredibly impressive catalogue.
(Hex)Undeniably prolific, the band also manage to consistently surpass expectations with each new effort, and No Light, No Tunnel is no different. Here, Bleak venture into more chaotic and discordant territory while maintaining all of the dark, sludge-infused metallic hardcore aggression that anchors their sound.
Bleak have also welcomed back original vocalist Michael Watson, whose tortured shrieks add a new dynamic, complementing the band's harsh and dissonant intensity. This time around, the distressing misery that the aptly named band emanate is less brooding and more anxiously panicked, especially in comparison to their previous full-length. First track "Teeth" displays this fiercely frantic approach, containing odd-timed, angular guitar work.
The exceptionally visceral "Cut Throat Rapture" further ups the ante with a raw sense of urgency, while highlight "Needles" features intense, crushing grooves amongst the havoc. The twisted, jarring chaos plays off the overwhelmingly vicious, dismal tones in a meticulously composed way that just works. No Light, No Tunnel is yet another outstanding addition to Bleak's incredibly impressive catalogue.
