Review: Full Of Hell ‘Garden Of Burning Apparitions’

In the decade plus since Full Of Hell were birthed screaming into this world, they’ve released a huge amount of material with splits, EPs, full lengths etc. Their fifth and newest full length, Garden Of Burning Apparitions, is out this Friday, 1st October, on Relapse Records and while only twenty minutes long, manages to fully embrace their blitzkrieg mix of grindcore, hardcore and death metal and create an album dedicated to the inevitable fear of death, religion and life’s impermanence. Typically cheery subjects for this hellish earth we currently populate.

Opener Guided Blight is possessed of a seriously thick guitar tone, one that accompanies a rabid scream/roar combination and thunderous drums. The immediate vicious nature is excellent, while the chunky Asphyxiant Blessing spirals into chaotic mathcore leads and sandblasting vocals. Full Of Hell have never been subtle in their brutality, but it seems even more ramped up here than normal. Grindcore can also work just as well at a slow crushing pace as the razorblade ravaging speed; the key is generally a sense of unhinged lunacy.

Murmuring Foul Spring brings some of that doomy, dirging sludge at the start as riffs disgorge themselves from the swamp and thrash like rabid beasts. There’s also crazed industrial noise freakouts (Derelict Satellite, I’m looking directly at your manic eyes), the brutal death metal bulldozing of Eroding Shell and the bizarre collaboration of an increasing noise-rock influence and grindcore (Industrial Messiah Complex).

For a twenty-minute piece, Full Of Hell have crammed so much violence, so much invention and so much fire into Garden Of Burning Apparitions…

I mean, I say bizarre but not because it doesn’t work. Jesus Christ does it work. In fact, there’s so much variety for a grindcore record that it’s genuinely surprising it all fits in such a short run time. That new noise-rock vibe comes to the fore a lot in Reeking Tunnels, which gives me some real Unsane vibes circa Blood Run. It’s not a genre I’m overly familiar with, but one that Full Of Hell have peaked an interest in. Non-Atomism returns to the skull shredding noise before closer Celestial Heirarch crushes us to the ground with more death grind carnage.

For a twenty-minute piece, Full Of Hell have crammed so much violence, so much invention and so much fire into Garden Of Burning Apparitions. I would like to say there’s something for everyone here, but really it’s just pure aural devastation and hatred. Barely any melody appears and instead additions of noise-rock and industrial horror takes the nasty grinding hardcore punk we remember and create something ugly and violent. Garden Of Burning Apparitions at once confounds and meets expectations, which is a rare treat.

Label: Relapse Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Scribed by: Sandy Williamson