The Pitch: Dark, blackened hardcore and suffocating sludge from Copenhagen's Hexis via Halo of Flies. FFO Cowards, Grieved, Oathbreaker
What I Like: Foreboding, claustrophobic atmosphere? Check. Filthy, wretched vocals? Check. Crushing walls of guitar ever closing in on you? Check. Unlike much of your standard, riff-driven hardcore, Tando Ashanti is more about building tension and surrounding you in shadow. So while the choice of distortion and vocal inflection may not be 100% kvlt certified, the overall product shares a closer mission statement with black metal. This is a plodding massacre that will murder you inch by inch.
What I Don't Like: Unfortunately, Tando Ashanti gets bogged down in its dense aesthetic. Much of the album suffers from a noticeable sameness; often to the point that it feels like one long track hinging on the same approach over and over again. I am thankful for the ominous, Primitive Man-like breaks that pop up (see the last minute or so of "Ashant"), but more dynamics and variation would be beneficial.
The Verdict: A somewhat repetetitious, but overall enjoyable album that is monstrously heavy and deafeningly destructive. While the songwriting would benefit from a few more flourishes, I look forward to blasting this full volume as often as possible.
Flight's Fav's: Molestus, Nocturnus, Septem