Slowly Building Weapons prove themselves as one of Australia’s most savage bands with a chaotic, dense and experimental take on black-metal/post-hardcore on their new release Sunbirds. This record initially comes off as menacing, but eventually becomes hypnotic and transcendental, luring you into a hellish void and leaving you craving to explore it further.
The Sydney four-piece push boundaries with a deadly combination of metal elements, swaying between being relentlessly crushing to eerily atmospheric. No mercy is shown on the blazing opening track ‘Throne’, driven by some nasty guitar tones and pounding rhythms. They get particularly brutal on ‘Lyre Birds’ which bustles into a sludgy breakdown only to disintegrate into noise as the production lets loose.
There’s a sense of optimism to the band’s sound as they keep things exciting by dabbling with clean instrumentation and showcase their melodic side. ‘Sunforest’ and the title-track ‘Sunbirds’ highlight spots that sound nastily abrasive but are underpinned by harmonious vocals and rich chord progressions. They show a unique ability for aggressively mashing together beauty and ugliness into well-crafted, compelling songs.
Slowly Building Weapons may be uncompromising, but they deliver on their primal black-metal ambitions with powerfully visceral performances, progressive songwriting, and an intriguingly diverse sonic landscape.
