Resent "Crosshairs"

    In these unprecedented times when the world seems to be shrouded in a dark cloud of confusion, we need a band to come along and provide a release that hits listeners with uncompromising force. Resent’s debut full-length album, “Crosshairs,” paints an abysmal sounding world of soul crushing despair and is a powerful example of unapologetic artistic expression.

    This Victoria, British Columbia sludge metal act channels that similar musical approach which was established by such greats as Noothgrush, Eyehategod, Corrupted and Grief. Over the years I have encountered a plethora of sludge bands trying to mimc the subgenre’s titans, however, Resent tries to construct their own destructive path full of pulverizing riffs as well as some ear shattering drum parts. The album is a true behemoth in terms of bludgeoning compositions and raw aggression.

    Right from the first note of the first song, “Miserable,” the band hammers out a merciless barrage that comes crashing down and leaves a wake of annihilation in its path. I will say that the vocals at times get drowned out by the guitars and I would have liked them to have been rerecorded slightly louder to compliment the instrumental devastation, but I still think the singer provides a solid delivery.

    The instrumental arrangements on this album are where you really hear an utterly savage group of musicians. Songs like, “Degenerate” and “Wallowing in Filth,” are a couple fearsome pieces of music that contain some vicious sounding riffs. “Wallowing in Filth,” is the song that I felt made this release the sludge metal juggernaut of the year, because the sound clip in the beginning provided a great introduction for what was to come musically. You are surrounding by these sadistic sounding slow riffs and the song's overall tone is simply ruthless until the end.

    The same can be said about the album's title track, which once again starts off filling the landscape with a depressive sounding instrumental doomsday storm. The final two songs, “Victimized” and “Miscarriage,” keep up the avalanche of terror going by laying down more thick distorted sounds that leave you lost in a suffocating haze to which you are never able to find your way out.

    Fans of sludge metal will definitely want to give this album a listen, because Resent I think took their time and did not toss together another boring sludge release that sounds as if they recorded the album using the same chord progression on each song. The production on this album and the level of songwriting I think really stood out, so I hope to hear them build on that with future albums. Overall, this album is one that I highly recommend and one that people should not overlook.




You can order the album through these labels:


Dry Cough Records (UK) https://www.drycoughrecords.com/
Nerve Altar (US) https://nervealtar.storenvy.com/
Rope Or Guillotine (Netherlands) https://ropeorguillotine.limitedrun.com/