Shai Hulud want nothing to do with you, infact they probably hate you. That statement sounds harsh, but upon first listen of ‘That Within Blood Ill-Tempered’, they have produced a staggeringly angst ridden record which is the perfect anecdote for any of your hardcore/metal needs, and that opening statement rings more true in your ears. They have produced a record which is full of explosive hooks and thundering drums which make you sit up and realise what a talented band they are, and what an incredibly well produced album they have created. Even the smallest details down to the superb accompanying booklet haven’t been spared, and you realise the four piece mean business. The whole package produces hardcore at its earsplitting best.
Lately I feel as if I have upset my superiors, what with the constant stream of hardcore records I have received. Being a gentle and polite young man, it’s albums like these that make you wanna fuck shit up with people that would make Van Damme tremble at the knee’s, and opener ‘Scornfull of the motives and virtue of others’ reinforces that fact in critical fashion, tossing the listener straight into a frenzy of melodic hardcore at it’s foremost. ‘Let Us Praise The Colonizers of Dreams’ keeps the pace up with some clever changes of melody before a surreal film clip leads us into ‘The Consummate Dragon’, a beautiful song full of differentiating turns of sound, keeping us all guessing where it may go next. ‘Willing Oneself to Forget What Cannot Otherwise Be Forgiven’ is in a similar vein to its predecessor except of an even more outlandish title.
‘Two and Twenty misfortunes’ showcases the band at their most bitter, with sublime melodic and vocal exchanges showing a maturity and intelligence the band have found again since their last record some six years ago. ‘Being Exemplary’ is a little more unimaginative than what we have come to expect, but fortunately ‘Given Flight By Demons Wings’ puts the album in the direction it was heading with the usual chugging guitars and frenetic drumming, this time giving the song a somewhat brighter outlook, and if Shai Hulud were to have a song on a summery day, this would be it. ‘Whether to Cry or Destroy’ is the loudest 3.23 I have heard in a while, and what follows up is the highlight of the album, and for once one of the ludicrous song names is actually rather apt. ‘This Song: For the True and Passionate Lovers of Music’ sums up everything you want in a hardcore band, and it is performed in exemplary fashion. ‘Ending the perpetual problem’ wraps the album up in fine fashion with a 7 minute ‘epic’ giving ‘That Within Blood Ill-Tempered’ a worthy closer.
I have been somewhat blown away of late by all these hardcore records put before me and this is just about top of the pile. To be put bluntly, the album is aggressive as fuck, but comes complete with some supremely melodic moments with poetically thought out lyrics. There are some criticisms though which give up the chance of a 5 star showing. Some of the song titles are goddamn atrocious (petty) and the album doesn’t variate in style all too much, but then the old adage of ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ comes to mind. Otherwise this is the blend of hardcore and metal at its best. Track it down and buy.
Jay