The term “extreme” metal has a lot of stylistic markers: high volume, high distortion, high intensity. But beyond the sound, there’s often an element of extremity to the lyrics that the music then propels forward. Poland’s Banisher propels the listener into the hell of solitary confinement in their video for “Devil in ISO 5.” The scenes of pain and torment are blended with rapid cuts of the band delivering a sonic assault chugs, riffs and screams.
But there’s a clever accessibility to it as well. While many tech-death bands avoid easily discernible song structures, Banisher still wraps the song around a chorus, helping to keep the insanity in the mind of the listener well after the feedback fades away.
According to guitarist Hubert Więcek:
Devil in ISO 5 is a song about a mental inmate who was manifesting his displeasure of being held in custody by his insane behavior in jail. Even despite being held in solitary, his outrageous screams were driving all other inmates crazy. He was screaming, threatening wardens and officers, destroying his cell, throwing food and feces all around, arguing with other inmates for 20 hours in a row until he passed out. After regaining consciousness, the whole story repeated.
In the video the main character playing the “Devil” is wearing original clothes which are worn by inmates in LA County Jail.
Banisher’s latest album, Degrees of Isolation, comes out on February 29 via Selfmadegod Records.
