Industrial Puke - Born into the Twisting Rope Review

Hardcore sometimes gets a bad wrap in metal circles, however, there is no doubting the potential for hardcore and metal to join forces in ways that transcend the often-maligned metalcore tag. Industrial Puke is a newish act straight outta Sweden, but don’t let that fool you, dear listener, this is an experienced outfit featuring members of Burst, Obstruktion and Rentokiller. Hellbent on carving their own path of destruction, the band’s debut LP, clocking in at a lean, mean 22 minutes, takes an efficient route and employs a crust approach, deftly combining hardcore and elements of death and grind into a supercharged concoction sure to get the blood pumping and the adrenaline jacked. Industrial Puke cite key influences such as the mighty Disrupt and Dismember as the motivation behind their fury. On paper it all sounds pretty positive, however, does Industrial Puke have the songwriting goods to match their solid pedigree?

Born into the Twisting Rope thrives on its upbeat energy and steady clip, delivering sharp, punchy tunes on a foundation of anthemic bursts of both melodic and aggro hardcore, rugged grooves and gritty, spiteful attitude, capitalizing on their crust, hardcore and death hybrid. It doesn’t break down barriers or offer anything particularly original or mind-blowing, but within their style, Industrial Puke execute well through a taut and efficient collection that blazes by in no time, lending value to quickfire repeat listens. Although the band’s formula sets a familiar pattern across the album’s duration, that is not to suggest Industrial Puke don’t know how to mix up tempos and ramp up the intensity as required, such as the rapid fury of the title track, or escalate ferocity oozing from the explosive “Banished.”

Opener “Mental Taxation” effortlessly shifts from tough, streetwise mid-paced grooves to livelier d-beaten flurries, while the ever-present, muscular bassines from Erik Herald, and energized drumming of Mattias Rasmusson, lay down an impressive rhythmic anchor. Meanwhile the efforts of guitarists’ Jems Ekelin and Marko Partanen cement Industrial Puke’s hardcore and metal influences and sturdy, riff-driven approach. The occasional ripping lead or sludgy death riff adds welcome variety, such as the killer axe work highlighting the oddly named, “Hell is in Hello.” Born into the Twisting Rope maintains a steady standard, though a lack of truly gripping material holds it back from reaching that elusive higher plane. Nevertheless, there is plenty of no-frills fun to be had. The album’s second act builds on the solid first half, featuring a few especially noteworthy nuggets of quality. “Neurosexist Motherfucker” is a ball-tearing rager, sculpted atop a punk-thrash base and featuring acidic vocal trade-offs and stomping grooves. The sludgy, Sabbathian intro and dirty basslines sets the swaggering “General Gluttony ” up nicely on a subtly shifting, mid-tempo dynamo, chock full of tasty riffs and headbangable grooves.

Linus Jägerskog (Burst) handles vocals, supported by contributions from guitarist Ekelin, and those familiar with the underrated Burst will likely recognize the admittedly rawer, aggravated hardcore shouts and screams from Jägerskog. The delivery largely fits, though I couldn’t help but feel some deathly growls would have provided a neat counterpoint. Listeners less enamored with hardcore-styled vocals will likely find his strained delivery a sticking point. Every now and then the vocals can grate, however, tolerance will vary and overall, it’s a strong performance. The main sticking points boil down to the songwriting occasionally bleeding together and the lack of genuine ‘wow’ moments to warrant a higher grade. Personally, a deeper lean into their death and grind side would perhaps have increased enjoyment and created a more diverse experience across the board.

Points go to the excellent production job, offering a bright yet gritty sound and balanced mix, while the mastering consolidates a dynamic listening experience. While a little more grind action in the mix would have been welcome, Industrial Puke have smashed out a solidly entertaining hardcore/crust/death platter that should spark the interest of listeners with an inclination towards the hardcore and crust end of the ledger. Born into the Twisting Rope offers a short, sharp curb stomp to rage to in concentrated bursts.