Putting on a record and immediately feeling a jolt of energy is nothing out of the ordinary. Most bands want to start with their best foot forward, pulling you into their newest collection of songs by grabbing you and making everything seem so exciting. But how many albums have great starts only to lose momentum over the course of the thing? Most of them? It’s not an easy thing to do, make a record that keeps your blood pumping front to back, but it can be done.
Seattle’s Filth Is Eternal are proof of that, which they prove on their great new record “Find Out,” a 14-track pounder that has absolutely no down time. Punk, grunge, metal, and hardcore all jam themselves into the recipe, and everything here sounds vital and pumping blood, making this a record that will fly by before you know what hit you. The band— vocalist Lis Di Angelo, guitarist Brian McClelland, drummer Emily Salisbury—build on what they unfurled on their debut “Love Is a Lie, Filth Is Eternal” and made it even more expressive and explosive, covering subject matter as varied and vital as mental health, addition, and relationship issues. There are some strains of their early days as Fucked and Bound, but there’s a different energy, a musical maturity that isn’t stuffy and still takes chances, leaving you guessing what’s coming next in the nest way possible. Also, Di Angelo is a charismatic, charged-up singer who reminds me of something in between Joan Jett and Mannequin Pussy’s Missy Dabice, their delivery like no one else’s, my attention totally theirs as these songs rampage over me.
“Half Wrong” gets going with guitars storming, Di Angelo’s spirited howls, and the playing driving hard, the drumming blasting with power. “My longest nights, let me go forever,” Di Angelo calls as the fire sparks, and we’re headed right into “Crawl Space” that’s instantly infectious. The singing scorches as the guitars playing is catchy as fuck, the pace opening and sprawling, blistering with jarring force. “Magnetic Point” brings pounding riffs and pushy singing, the ferocity feeling like something you can reach out and touch. Di Angelo lashes, “Private pain, public tether, let us break even together,” before declaring, “I want you to feel my spirit,” as everything leaves the earth quaking. “Cherish” has burly riffs and a grungy vibe, the singing echoing as punches land, punk-fueled fervor bruising your knees. Things are gruff and muscular, blasting out into “Roll Critical” that is nasty and faster, coming at you like a freight train, Di Angelo howling, “Catch your breath while you find it, what you don’t know can hurt you, don’t lose sway.” The pace is pounding and twisting, blasting out with sinister intent. “Curious Thing” is speedy and energetic, the singing raspier and throatier, melodies jabbing as we spiral into a pile of filth. “Into the Curve” sizzles with great melodies, metallic edges that bloody noses, the force growing increasingly more tornadic. “I can feel the dark void coming,” Di Angelo wails, “and the only way forward and through it all is to let the dark void come for you.”
“Pressure Me” is fast and thrashy, combustible elements all around, fluid viciousness coming right for your throat with no intention of letting up the fight. “Body Void” is grinding and filthy, fun and rhythmic, the guitars blazing as Di Angelo enthusiastically shouts, “Let’s go!” Chants rouse, guitars bubbling over, and a piledriving force keep this track brawling and aiming for your adrenaline. “The Gate” starts with the drums leading the charge, grungy guitar work feeling like the glory days of three decades ago, and everything is aggressive and defiant, Di Angelo howling, “I’m gonna break this thing apart, I will find my way out of here.” “Signal Decay” is watery and darker, heading into murkier, more uncertain territory. The guitars then heat up as everything gets more intense, Di Angelo calling, “But I’m not alone in this lonely place, so how long can we keep it here?” as everything barrels away. Fucking great track. “All Mother” begins with a Motorhead-like riff that’s always welcome, as the rest of the band rips through and leaves gaping holes and chaos. Shrieks breathe fire as the madness increases, ending in a torching ferocity. “Last Exit” is fast and strikes hard, the vocals coming out as shouts, the punk vibes ripping through your nervous system. The bass leads the way as the atmosphere haunts, pounding away as the shrieks tear as you like knives. Closer “Loveless” feels doomier and darker, moving sludgier and with a dark heart. The vocals peels at your flesh, Di Angelo belting, “Saturn devours his son, time set is almost come, why must I die one day at a time?” The hammers keep falling, poking at wounds not healing, shoving your face in the mud as you heave trying to gasp for a breath.
Filth Is Eternal pour a lot of different subject matters and means with which to deal with them into “Find Out,” and it’s a good idea to take a few trips with this record so you can fully absorb everything going on over these 14 tracks. This band feels sharper, heavier, more certain than ever before, and the feelings you’re left with once the record ends, no matter which listen you’re on, will sit with you long after the sounds cease. It’s also a killer sounding record, the best stuff Filth Is Eternal has done so far, and an indication that we’re just on the cusp of this band becoming something special.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/filthiseternal/
To buy the album, go here: https://mnrkheavy.com/collections/filth-is-eternal
For more on the label, go here: https://mnrkheavy.com/
Meat Mead Metal 