HARROWED – Entropic

I rarely bother reviewing singles but this 2-track jewel by the fierce UK act known as Harrowed blew me the fuck away, and I may in fact have become addicted to it. Intensely heavy and punishing yet surprisingly groovy in places also, these gentlemen have spawned a muscular-sounding mixture of hard, aggressive black metal and face-melting hardcore, and the wonderful thing about it is that it comes across as organic, lively, and surprisingly varied. There is a genuinely wicked punk rock vibe and aesthetic coursing through “Entropic” and “Cultus Maleficarum” too, but above all this is an inspired release brandishing an abundance of gutsy impact. I get the impression that hardly any overdubs were done and that the two skull crushing tunes were recorded with the whole group playing and jamming together, which obviously adds a certain warmth and drive to the proceedings.   

Harrowed and their vortex of crushing riffs and menacing atmosphere rules, and I strongly recommend this one as it literally spews forth venom and determination in equal measure.