There was a glorious time when sludge metal, particularly in Europe, stretched against the limits of tone, melody and rhythm the same way that post-hardcore did at the same time in America. This brief period of time, roughly from the early aughts until around 2012, birthed bands like Knut, America’s Keelhaul, and the sorely-missed Burst. Switzerland’s The Crotals deliver a furious throwback to that sound in an overall abbreviated and adrenaline-fueled package on their upcoming second album, Horde, to be released on September 7 via Tenacity Music. To be sure, a little High on Fire circa “Bloody Knuckles” is present on the record as a whole, which means that its title track, “La Horde,” may not even be the most intense moment on the LP. Take a listen.
Follow Crotals on Facebook and pre-order the album here.
