There are times when you don’t want music to be uplifting. When abject nihilism and despondency will match or elevate your mood and you just want to be subjected to someone else’s anger. Both Full of Hell and The Body understand that sentiment. One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache is their stark, raw scream into the abyss. It’s a split born of noise, sludge and grind. It’s as unrelenting as it is devastating and those looking for ease of access need not apply.
It’s surprisingly difficult to ascertain through mere listening, and probably intentionally so, but it’s difficult to judge which tracks are Full of Hell’s and which are The Body’s. If I had to make a broad judgment I would guess that there is more of the former in the first half and more of the latter in the second. It’s nonetheless clear that there are overlaps of personnel as both bands ooze through One Day You Will Ache…. Overbearing distortion and guitar feedback underpins everything. The guitars serve less to provide melody and more to offer an evil platform on which the vocals and drums build. Though higher tempos and more rollicking drums characterize what I interpret to be Full of Hell’s tracks, grinding their way more definitely to their conclusions (see the title track), The Body’s tracks don’t even offer more expressive drumming, dragging the listener through an indistinct haze of noise (“Himmel und Hölle”).
There are minor variations in production to distinguish between their sounds, too. The faster stuff doesn’t sound quite so filthy, perhaps to highlight the heightened drum work. The lighter female vox and electronic beat on “Fleshworks” could almost be described as accessible. On the other hand, the noise-laden, sludgier material crackles, contorts and lurches. The mix is indeterminably dense and commentary over dynamics scarcely seems relevant. “Himmel und Hölle” is again a reliable example, though special mention also has to be given to the audacious cover of Leonard Cohen’s “The Butcher.” It’s utterly unrecognizable and reduces a subdued, folk rock number to a dissociative, jarring mess – and I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way.
Even though the harsh vocals can’t be said to rise above the remainder of the mix, contributing to the din rather than offering any melody, they’re worth considering. Muffled shrieks diversify the walls of noise and growls are sparingly used on the grind to afford greater impact in select moments. But it’s the high-pitched screeches which truly stand out: evocative of Silencer’s infamous Nattramn, the piercing and unhinged qualities elevate proceedings to manic levels. Impressive isn’t the right adjective – more like impressively disturbing.
One Day You Will Ache…is an ugly, unpleasant, excruciating listen, particularly on its latter half. I can’t say I enjoy it so much as appreciate their vision. That notwithstanding, and while I may not return to it too often, it legitimately invokes a strong reaction and I can advocate that which cuts deeper and is a little harsher. For fans of noise; approach cautiously otherwise.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Neurot Recordings
Websites: facebook.com/thebody | thebody.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/fullofhell | fullofhell.bandcamp.com
Release Dates: EU: 2016.03.25 | NA: 03.25.2016
