Seattle deathgrind crew Theories (featuring Black Breath guitarist Lee McGlothlen) first emerged in 2014 on a split with Canada’s WAKE before releasing their debut album, Regression, in 2015. Four years later, they’re back with Vessel, a ten-track ripper that crashes upon the listener in wave after wave of riff-driven intensity.
The album’s opener, “Human Vessel Cell,” leads the way in a burst of tremolo-picked fury, backed by a tooth-rattling low end and furious drumming (plus a snare refuses to be ignored). At 2:37, “Human Vessel Cell” is one of the shorter cuts on Vessel, defined by its nonstop speed.
“It’s 2019, everything is fucked, water is becoming undrinkable, air is becoming toxic, people are on all opposing sides at each other’s throats with hate, the wealthy and powerful practice in profits over humanity, people’s idea of change comes from ‘thoughts and prayers’ social media posts, depression has run rampant and we’re all dying,” Theories state bluntly. “This isn’t some dystopian story plot, this is where the world is. We wrote a record, that’s not what it’s about. But it’s pissed and so are we.”
Brace yourself and listen to “Human Vessel Cell” below. Theories will unleash the rest of Vessel via Corpse Flower on April 12.