Black Hole of Calcutta
S/T #2
Two things about Black Hole of Calcutta right off the
bat: First, they were immediately on my
good side when I saw their awesome Mother-Theresa-in corpse-paint album cover. Not only is it an eye-catcher, but I’m also
surprised that it hasn’t been done before.
Shame on you anti-Christian/blasphemous metal bands across the
world! Second, why would anyone name
their album Self-Titled #2? I mean,
naming albums is one of the most fun things for a band to do, and to pass on
such an opportunity boggles my mind. It’s
not a knock against the group or this album, I’m just sayin’.
The first track “Myth of Progress” introduces the listener
to an impressive form of sludgy black metal, but this only serves to lull
listeners into a false sense of black metal security...because this is a
straight up grind album (for the most part) from the second track on. While the music includes punk, metal, and
hardcore elements, the vocals always remain in the black metal/grind
realm. This is worth noting because
regardless of the backing music the vocals always seem appropriate and never
forced. This is not often the case, but
Black Hole of Calcutta definitely knows what they are doing, that much is sure.
It is albums like this that remind me why I love metal in
the first place. There are no frills, no
harmonized backing vocals, no unnecessary or drawn out interludes. Instead, you just get straight forward
aggression in its many glorious forms. “Cirrhosis”
and “No Turning Back” stand out for me as songs that best exemplify exactly
what Black Hole of Calcutta is going for in this way.
So if you love metal, hate Christianity (or at least want to
put corpse paint on it), and are looking for fast, furious, and well-written
grind, then look no further than this record.
If you hate metal, love Christianity (or don’t want to put corpse paint
on it), and don’t like grindcore than what the fuck are you doing on this site?
