The Dark Distortion Of Barque and The ‘Coffin Cutters’ EP.
It is credible to state that when looking into influential bands and genre stylistics that Punk and its angry sibling Hardcore have done modern alternative music (and arguably music in general) a huge service.
Now, if you apply this logic to Punk and Hardcore within that box rather than outside it, it also solidly applies. This collective of abrasive sounds has seen innumerable changes, progressions and crossovers, with some matching perfectly and others simply becoming cult classics. This is where French Hardcore Punk noise-mongers Barque come in, with their new EP Coffin Cutters destroying any peace you may have found at this time of year…
The brilliantly titled ‘Path Of The Hierophant’ examines the escape from a toxic belief in its wording but in its music, paints this process as some sort of bloody battle and fight for survival.
What am I talking about? Well, the chaotic Noise Rock infused, Metallic Hardcore riffed and Melodic Hardcore guitar-lined assault destroys the very last of that peace you thought you had found in a quest for its own distorted version.
The aforementioned comparison to Noise Rock is more of an aesthetic to the band’s sound rather than a direct comment on it; a disclaimer for the purists if you will. A more traditional Hardcore sound is employed to begin with in the again, vaguely Metallic ‘Betrayed Monarch’, with comparisons to the chaos of Trash Talk easily made.
‘Mountain Snakes’ continues with the slower tempo stomp the band have been edging towards. By this point on the release the band’s metallic infusions are drawing from more progressive sources with the melodic guitars overlaying crescendos and stylistics you’d expect from Post-Metal, with crunching Hardcore and Sludge Metal infused rhythms alongside. ‘Mountain Snakes’ makes for a solid half way point and is just as chaotic in its continuity but lacks the pace I was pining for at this stage.
‘Absalom’ answered my prayers and not because of its old testament plot. Although the songs intro keeps inline with the overly aggressive and furious shredding, track four sees Barque at their most Punk in the way of their musical style. Although the ironically coherent “messy” riffage is still present, the simple and fast chord progression that spawned this vein of Punk music is refreshing and a highlight.
‘Torments’ is its own verb. It’s a track with just under three minutes of unrelenting composition with the rest of its five minute duration leaving you with a haunting din and drone of eerie feedback and insecurity. ‘Torments’ closes a release that in many ways is quite frankly exhausting but a thrilling way of reaching such a state.
Find the band below:
- For updates head to Facebook.
- The band’s music to date van be found on bandcamp.
- Barque are currently signed to French label, Eastrain rec and a host of other labels across Europe and North America.
- Eastrain rec can be found on Facebook.
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