Arson Anthem

These are the best 20 minutes hardcore has ever experienced. Philip Anselmo is almost as famous — nay, notorious — for bouncing around various side-projects over the years as he is for being the front-man of ’90s metal gods Pantera. And while the majority of the community believed he had finally found his calling as the screamer for Superjoint Ritual (the best of the pack to that point), the first three seconds of latest outfit Arson Anthem prove that sentiment ridiculous. All past endeavours were useful only in pushing towards the viciousness and brilliance of Arson Anthem. EyeHateGod grunter Mike Williams (vocals), Hank Williams III (drums), Colin Yeo (bass) and Anselmo (guitar) create some of the most obliterating early hardcore this side of Negative Approach, Discharge or Napalm Death’s genre-defining Scum. In fact, Anselmo finally shuts the fuck up here, handing vocal duties over to someone with a far more powerful and demonic voice. To that extent, his fretwork on these eight songs is astounding, propelling the vehemence and cruelty unearthed by his cohorts. There is a new layer of filth to hardcore, plastered on by the whiskey-soaked vocals, embittered attitudes and decimated instruments of Arson Anthem.