Stream: Exhaustion - Demo

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The Throats S/T effort came my way in 2010, logging many plays on my iTunes and eventually forcing my hand into ordering the vinyl from overseas. What I heard was distilled venom, concentrated in the form of a heady and noisy mix of grindcore, hardcore and doom riffs. It lasted an impression, and had me salivating for a follow-up LP to this short-but-sweet gem. That promise was never fulfilled, as the band called it quits soon thereafter.

Records come and go but that self-titled EP stuck around, until this morning when I was passed the demo from Exhaustion. Featuring ex-members of Throats, this UK four-piece removes some of their former venture’s doomier tendencies and instead drops the pedal to the floor. The result is a cocktail of nitro and vitriol; black metal, grind, and d-beat are tied together with vocals that sit in between a black metal croak and a distorted Japanese hardcore record. Favorites include “Inessential,” which flirts with black metal tremelo picking before hopping onto a speeding d-beat freight train, and “Conceit,” where an opening death metal riff descends into a grind/hardcore beatdown. Six songs later, I’ve almost (but not quite) forgotten how much I loved Throats, and I can’t wait for Exhaustion’s next move.

Of course as with most demos, the recording leaves something to be desired. But read between the lines, you’ll see something that transcends those limitiations.

The Exhaustion demo is available now for the very friendly price of whatever-you-want. Stream it below and buy one from the band if you so desire.

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