Review: Wasted Death ‘The Prequel To Evil’ EP
It is barely the end of March and APF Records releases seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment with excellent releases from TORSO, the monstrous new Desert Storm album and the much-anticipated upcoming return of Trevor’s Head.
However, nothing is probably going to be as fast as the thick sounds of furious belligerence that is the next instalment of punk/metal collision brought to you by the trio of Charlie Davis (Beggar), Wayne Adams (Big Lad and Petbrick) plus Tom Brewins of USA Nails.
Having released a brace of swift, brutal savagery back in 2021 with the EPs Ugly As Hell and Uglier Than Hell, Wasted Death established themselves as more than just a frustrated side project born from global lockdown, but a flick-knife-wielding, glue-sniffing crew of miscreants who would mug your granny in a dark alley if they thought they could get some cash for her dentures.
Clocking in at the 90mph blur of three tracks in eight minutes, the new entry The Prequel To Evil returns their list of influences and styles to the blender, setting it on high power to once again whip up a batch of fresh destruction and throw it in your face.
Starting with a frantic rolling drum fill, that is as much a statement of intent as the opening to Slayer’s Divine Intervention (to announce Paul Bostaph’s presence behind the kit) Shock Kollar takes off with the power and ferocity of a doomed rocket flight. Once again, the band bring back lashings of ultra-violence as they set a blistering pace with churning grindcore, evil thrash chord progressions and furiously picked strings.
There is a chaotic, feral beauty to Wasted Death releases. Sure it can feel like it flails around like a rabid dog straining at the leash, but within each fetid blast, the band cram stealth hooks and pinpoint dynamics to ensure that, despite the minimal run time of each grime-covered missive, there is a laser focus to bring a smörgåsbord of extreme styles together making it compelling, cathartic and dare I say, even catchy at times.
vicious madness that sounds like Napalm Death, Discharge and Converge having a three-way battle royale…
At nearly four minutes, Septic Tank is positively epic in comparison, a slow chugging intro explodes into a hyper-speed buzzsaw that almost feels like drummer Brewins must have been strapped to his stool to stop him falling off as they look to redefine the word blistering in the dictionary. Wayne Adams is either blurring his strings like tension wires in a hurricane or adding evil-sounding high notes as Davis pounds the seismic low-end while he screams and snarls himself hoarse.
The final sprint to the finish of 0.0% Fun passes in a blur. Beginning with feedback, distortion and almost apocalyptic spoken word, it is one last tumultuous, bug-eyed tilt at vicious madness that sounds like Napalm Death, Discharge and Converge having a three-way battle royale to see who claims the crowd of the most unhinged.
As the track ends on a rhythmic stomp rather than a blast beat, the band have you inadvertently nodding your head in tacit agreement that, whilst you’d be hard-pushed to make a cup of coffee and read this review in the time it took to actually spin The Prequel To Evil, Wasted Death cover more musical ground that some drone bands manage in an entire back catalogue.
Almost a stealth release, The Prequel To Evil has been unleashed, initially on Bandcamp only, with little to no fanfare adding to the, dirt under the nails, punk DIY feel of the band and at a price of less than a pint. At Wetherspoons. Which means, the only question you should be asking yourself is, why am I not downloading this right now?
Label: APF Records
Band Links: Bandcamp
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
