Meatfeast “Hands Like Claws” (2011)

Now this is some seriously deranged stuff ! I have been hearing good things about these guys, but some of the praise was from the hipster contingent so I approached the release with caution. Despite this,it took me less than a minute to be won over.

This 6 piece from UK sure knows how to raise hell. Despite the brevity of the EP (at not quite 8 minutes), or because of it , it works like 1-2 punches and you are out.”A Void Can Be Willed” has so many elements working in cohesion, that it becomes a lesson in studied insanity. It is wild, bizarre, technical, dark, eerie and absurd in the same song. “Domestic Violence” ups the ante further and moves completely into La La Land. The lyrics for both ‘tunes’ are disturbing but I am at a loss to pinpoint exactly what the subject matter is. The jazz break with what sounds like da-da female vocals is a stroke of genius after the spastic blasting. The EP ends soothingly and you are ready to repeat the whole experience. I have already heard it around 6 times just today. Did I mention they have a full time saxophonist ? This must be a complete mindfuck live.

The problem with a lot of the out-there technical stuff is that the bands get too artsy and disappear up their own ass, or dumb it down to get commercial (DEP comes to mind in both cases). This on the other hand recognizes the absurdity inherent in extreme musical forms and embraces it, showing a sense of humor sadly lacking in most avant-garde metal these days. It is funny in the way a coffin breaking at a funeral is funny,or the way a stupid car accident is (that is to say the vibe manages to stay pretty dark throughout the EP).

-Suleiman

VITALS:

Release:  November 2011
Label:  Self-Released
Avantgenre:  Eclecticore
Duration:  7:43
Origin:  UK
Official site:  http://www.maggothouse.co.uk/meatfeast/
Review online since:  02.11.2011 / 19:17:52

TRACKLIST:

01 – A Void Can Be Willed
02 – Domestic Violence

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