Axefear / Terminal Filth split 12″
You know when you see two people getting into a relationship together and you just think that they fit perfectly together and it makes sense that they end up sharing the same bed? Well, TERMINAL FILTH and AXEFEAR are exactly like that: their union was meant to happen, and they may not share the same bed but they share the same crust. With both their names heavily (and rather unsubtly, it has to be said) nodding to the stenchcore of yore, they are the perfect crust tag-team. If you are not familiar with the bands, TERMINAL FILTH is from Berlin, this split LP is their third record, and they have consistently improved since their inception. The four songs they offer (one of which is a delightful synth interlude that brings to mind the mighty AXEGRINDER) are incredible and cement them as one of the best current bands in the stenchcore division. Heavy, dark, anguished, rotten, metallic crust not unlike CANCER SPREADING or LAST LEGION ALIVE. As a bonus, Janick from AFTER THE BOMBS takes care of the vocals on “The Last Journey”—this is the icing on the cake, and a time machine to 2006. On the other side, you will find three songs (one of them being a REPULSION cover) from Seattle’s AXEFEAR, and although TERMINAL FILTH is a tough act to follow, they deliver their own brand of stenchcore well, reminding me of HELLSHOCK or SANCTUM with the required intensity and a great, filthy sound to convince the punters to grab this album that is bound to become something of a crust classic and a high point of the ’20s for this peculiar subgenre. It is a definite win.