Amebix

Breaking 23 years of recorded silence ― not including 1997's live effort, Make Some Fucking Noise ― aggressive crusty punks Amebix further blur the lines between hardcore, old school punk and thrash metal with latest EP Redux. A brilliant flash of the very same chunky, no-frills beats, blown-out throats, scratchy guitars and overall sense of disgruntled menace that ensured these guys and cohorts Discharge defined their punk rock sub-genre way back when, Redux's three studio, and one live, tracks are methodical shots of embittered vitriol. While most songs focus on churning half-times more than overt, expedient rage (revealing an older, ostensibly wiser Amebix), when they do step-up the attack, it isn't in vain. The double-kick and Ministry-esque, distorted vocals of "Chain Reaction" alone ensure these guys are just as sinister as when they disbanded a quarter-century ago. Still, with some tunes hitting the six-minute mark, this release is as long-in-the-tooth as its creators, at times. While it could use a bigger fire under its ass here and there, Redux shows promise for this reformed version of these crust punk greats.