Album Review: Praetorian - Pylon Cult
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
As soon as I heard that opening guttural scream from singer Tom Clements on the single “Burly Haemorrhoid” I thought to myself, “now that sounds a bit good, I better check them out”. Then without a moment’s notice, the bass from Richard Stevenson slapped me right on the jaw, and here I am now, reviewing their debut album “Pylon Cult”.
I can tell you one thing for certain, it’s a bit of a bruiser, and you are set for a pummelling, but a pummelling you are going to enjoy. It’s what I’ve come to expect this from APF Records, who are building up quite the roster of bands these days. Usually, it’s tough northerners versus southern softies, but the Hertfordshire quartet dismiss that theory straight off the bat with the wonderfully titled “Fear & Loathing in Stevenage”. It’s a brutal relentless assault on your mind, body and soul, and sets the standard for what follows.
Then a gentle, soft opening to “Chain of Dead Command” makes you think they gone all wimpy, before the sledgehammer blow to your solar plexus, and you sound like Clements delivering one of his trademark growls. It’s savage, beast like in deliver, with heavy riffs from guitarist Mark Wilkie, serving you notice that there is no let up, but despite their fearsome reputation, they do some produce some melodic moments as well, to give you time to collect your thoughts.
A simple intro from drummer Andrew Bisgrove, leads the way for “Gutwrenching” before the death metal esque guitars take over and you get more vocal stretching from Clements for more drudgery noise. More variety is seen on “Tombs of the Blind Dregs” though its still bludgeoning you into submission, albeit in a multitude of different ways.
“Dormant Psychosis” is just a minute of strange noises to mess with your head even more, and it ploughs straight into almost 9 minutes of “Remnants of Head” a cacophony of noise that pulls no punches in its delivery, with the dual vocal more prominent, and offering a decent juxtaposition. The title track “Pylon Cult” is a shorter, more brutal blast delivered with real intent that really sees them fulfil that mighty potential. And it ends with the aforementioned “Burly Haemorrhoid” where you get to enjoy the chaos one last time, before you play it over again and again.
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