Review: Berenice ‘Berenice’ EP
Freshly minted and with the musical equivalent of that new car smell, Berenice, the UK five-piece hailing from East Anglia have wasted little time since their inception early last year in establishing themselves as ones to watch having laid waste to venues all over this sceptred isle. After stunning audiences with their unrelenting blend of hardcore, sludge, grind and crust that’s influenced by heavy hitters such as Nails, Power Trip and All Pigs Must Die, they capitalised on this momentum by recording their debut EP, a self-titled, five-track onslaught, before the first anniversary of their existence.
Such is the impressive cacophony generated by the quintet that lover of the filthy riff and founder of the Salford-based purveyor of all things heavy, Andrew Fields snapped them up to release the eponymous racket under the banner of his stellar APF Records.
With a name shrouded in historical royalty, the band, who boast a pedigree of A Horse Called War, Bastard, Goat Monsoon, Obscene Entity and Devilment, channel the anger and discontent of modern Britain into an unflinching rage and disgust at the social injustices that grip the country. Far from a mindless thrashing, this distilled rage shows the diverse nature of the players involved and whilst clocking in at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed rush of thirteen minutes, the band covers an incredible amount of ground in that short space of time.
Starting with the thunderous, battering pace of Problems, Berenice comes out swinging with a filthy, fuzzy assault. Over the churning grime whipped up by guitarists Dave and Charlie, drummer Aaron and bassist Calum, which sounds like the coming of the apocalypse, vocalist Jim rages and snarls, spitting vitriol in a succession of guttural barks.
Filled with bug-eyed fury, the subtle chord progressions and 90 miles per hour riffing leave you feeling like you are being thrown around in a violent storm. When they start to slow the pace to a sludgy groove, the pummelling becomes more focused, accented by the feral rasps. Just over two minutes later this breathless whirlwind finishes as abruptly as it began.
Filled with bug-eyed fury, the subtle chord progressions and 90 miles per hour riffing leave you feeling like you are being thrown around in a violent storm…
Reflection opens with dramatic power slides and a mid-paced choppy riff that recalls classic era Slayer, before the band once more strains at the leash and charges off into a blistering pace. More dynamically balanced than the opener, Berenice teases you with respite (albeit respite that sounds like a brick to the skull), before slamming you with body blows that come thick and fast. Despite the lashings of ultraviolence, there is an almost imperceptible air of catchiness as the heads-down hooks get you nodding your head for just a moment, before they rip into passages that must have seen Aaron’s arms and legs blur and smoke during recording, such is the force with which he hits the kit.
Maintaining the ferocity, Torment is another thrashing churn. The crusty d-beat opening features manic guitaring with enough flourishes to prevent the ferocious strumming from blending into one incomprehensible noise. The malevolent accents contrast with the slamming intensity of the main riff, before the last forty-five seconds morphs into a catchy groove demonstrating the band may be the living embodiment of anger, but they know how to make listenable tracks.
Broken once again features a chunky bounce to get you nodding along before the inevitable dissolution into manic, frothing fury. Rather than becoming predictable, the band keep it feeling fresh by oscillating back and forth between the speeding mania and a gut-punching stop/start twist on the dense, scything walls of sound. Topped off with samples and rabid rantings, the band never let up, whatever angle they come at you from.
Finishing with the menacing atmosphere of Sorrow, the longest track on the album (a whole three minutes and five seconds) features seismic, pounding drums that ignite into a swagger with a faltering rhythm that manages to be both a punk-paced attack and belligerent stomp. It is hard to top the impressive array of sounds that they cram into this one track, the tonal variations of the guitars and grinding bass never once detract from the singular vision of making the most of every second.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered at guitarists Dave‘s Bombstore Studios, Berenice feels like a high-voltage shock to the system. Seemingly from out of nowhere, this band, which feels complete and carries itself with the self-assuredness of a veteran act, has emerged to do damage to your earlobes. On a roster that boasts the likes of Battalions and Wasted Death, any band wanting to lay claim to the extreme music crown better not miss when they come for the king and Berenice have just fired their first serious shot of what will hopefully be a full-on barrage.
Label: APF Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
