After dropping their 2011 debut full-length Harvest of the Carcass on Deathwish, Boston bruisers New Lows returned last year to sum up nearly everything that defines the last decade of Boston Hardcore. Everything that was good about Harvest... is here, and with significantly less material to dig into, Abhorrent Endings delivers the goods, and more.
Artwork: Abhorrent Endings's cover shows Jacob Bannon reaching out to the edges of his familiar style. The vinyl release of this (the only record that I have a complete collection of) is essentially one-sided, with the songs all on one side and the back side perfectly flat, with the bands NL logo spray paint stenciled in lovely DIY fashion, giving each record a completely unique feel. The front and back cover art are very reminiscent of stencil art, as well, and the design aesthetic of the whole package gives Abhorrent... a hands-on feel - this wasn't just designed on a computer and spat into stores - the effort of which sings of the love and passion put into it.
Structure: This 12" EP plays like an average band's demo, featuring only five tracks. Some are more memorable than others, but this record plus Harvest... made me buy tickets to see them play a one-off show in Boston, 17 hours away.
Sound: New Lows still sounds like New Lows here, but Abhorrent... sounds more like a really good demo than a professionally produced album. Fortunately, this works in New Lows' favor, as these songs gain a degree of ferocity from the grit of their raw production that would be missing if extra polish was applied. It's a rager of a punk record that so shocked me when I first heard the first song, I had purchased the record online before the song was over.
Lyrics: P-Boy, vocalist and lyricist, pens some of the most beautifully pensive lyrics in punk music that I have ever read. Every line is trimmed to the bone - there is absolutely no filler, not a single word that does not serve a purpose, and the momentum of these songs grinds the verses into the listener's memory. These are tracks I have listened to over, and over, and over again, and will listen to in the future.
For Fans Of: Figure Four, Trash Talk, Converge
Favorite Lyrics: "Jagged jaws gnaw
Gnash at the past
Traveling troubled trails
Treasures in trash bags
Grief-gripped eyes blind
Insomnia tinged skies
Serpents search Earth
For life left behind"
Favorite Track: Shelter Shard
- Abhorrent Endings
- There's No Roses In The Rubble
- Osaka Sun
- Carving Crosses
- Shelter Shard
Rating: 8 / 10
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Keep it decent.