Review: Wasted Death ‘Ugly As Hell II: Uglier Than Hell’ EP
APF Records head honcho Andrew Field must be putting something in the water of his artists, given the sheer insane levels of productivity that is bursting forth from the Salford based label right now; it’s quite frankly jaw dropping, even for musicians who’ve been forced to take an unwanted hiatus.
Like Wall, gutter punk four-piece Wasted Death, spewed forth from the minds of Wayne Adams of Big Lad and Petbrick (with Igor Cavalera), Charlie Davis of Beggar and Tom Brewins of USA Nails during 2020 and issued their debut EP Ugly As Hell earlier this year. Now before you have even recovered from the concussion inducing, belligerent headfuck of those five tracks, they’re back with five more in the shape of the appropriately titled Uglier Than Hell.
Firmly nailing their flag to the mast of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’, or in this case ‘it’s broke, fuck it, we’ll keep doing it anyway’, the follow up is a little bit ‘Second verse, same as the first, a whole lot louder, a whole lot worse’. If the first EP was a mad, bug-eyed speed rush through the grimiest parts of the psyche, then strap yourselves in as this time they’re back with more of the same, but with a few new tricks up their sleeves.
Still packing in the dark, tongue in cheek humour present on Ugly As Hell, title tracks like Tomorrow’s Children Will Eat Algae, Brawn Flakes and Extensively Vetted show no signs of letting up. Why stop now when they’re having so much fun?
hardcore crusty spit drenched mixture of EyeHateGod colliding with Converge…
Musically this sounds very similar, Adams has once again captured the same scuzzy, fuzz laden sound; the hardcore crusty spit drenched mixture of EyeHateGod colliding with Converge as attitude and frantic riffs smash into a heavy as a *fat joke redacted* explosive percussion. Only this time they’ve expanded on their bag of tricks to include a High On Fire like buzzsaw edge, Melvins like unpredictability and straight up classic Amphetamine Reptile style lunacy.
From the opening drums and feedback of Tomorrow’s Children… to the calculated yet foaming at the mouth rabid closer Nothing I Want Less, the EP covers catchy rolling riffs, low end grooves, gang vocals and kitchen sink levels of energy and savagery wrapped up into one deliciously violent package.
Rocketing by at an eye watering, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, sub fourteen minutes of pure fury, Uglier Than Hell proves that Wasted Death may have been a way to kill boredom initially, but they’ve got something that’s the perfect cathartic outlet and middle finger to the world right now. They’re gleefully assaulting the listener with everything and begging you to ask for more.
At this rate there will be a full-length album along before we know it and that will be glorious…or whichever unflattering description they choose to lean into.
Label: APF Records
Band Links: Bandcamp
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
