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We Are The Damned

Holy Beast

Written by: PP on 09/09/2011 04:13:28

I have no idea why so many mags refer to Portugal's We Are The Damned as a death'n'roll band. Their hard-hitting, but spacious level of aggression has far more to do with the industrial surroundings of bands like Ministry and Revolting Cocks than with bands who honestly mix together death metal and rock'n'roll. "Holy Beast", their new album, is best described as an industrial hardcore record, one whose echoing production sounds a little like our own The New Low mixing with Ministry's pounding records.

In fact, if you think of the word 'pounding' in music, Ministry will almost always be the number one name you'll refer to. Here, We Are The Damned prove that you don't necessarily have to play industrial metal in order to play 'pounding' music. Unfortunately for them, the pounding onslaught that they present on tracks like "Throne Of Lies" and "Christian Orgy" is only marginally interesting, and less so on the more anonymous tracks.

One of the shortcomings of the record is the space-y surroundings of each song. I don't think We Are The Damned intend to be an industrial-sounding band at all, but when your instruments echo off the walls and revolve around the atmosphere emptily, your version of hardcore will inevitably be judged as such. It's a shame, because the intensity in a number of their songs is top-notch, but the songwriting itself is hindered by bad production.

Download: Throne Of Lies, Christian Orgy,
For the fans of: Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Entombed, Disfear, The New Low
Listen: Myspace

Release date 25.03.2011
Massacre Records