Unruh

Since Unruh is currently not together, this album is possibly the last will and testament to this spectacular Arizona quartet. After their contribution to the CD version of Cry Now, Cry Later Vols. I & II (also on Pessimiser), Unruh went through twists and turns to commit Setting Fire... to tape, but their attention to detail shows in every incendiary track. The band takes as many cues from Extreme Conditions-era Brutal Truth as they do from AmRep days of Helmet, but they mix it all with crust and make the result taste good. After a smouldering acoustic guitar/piano intro, "Spoonful Of Tar" combusts into a punk/grind firebomb, finally dragging its stinking carcass to a halt. "Finite" hearkens to pre-Relapse Mindrot, and "Disdain" is heavy hardcore galore. A brutal sample on family values precedes "Complex," which erupts into doom-y grind with a melodic breakdown reminiscent of the quieter moments from Botch. Ultimately, Unruh is most similar to Human = Garbage-era Dystopia, a comparison that becomes the band very well. Pity that more bands can't be this focused.