Bombardement: S/T 12″

Description

500 copies with Die-cut hole on side A

D-beat from Bordeaux/France, (ffo Meanwhile)

With (ex-) members of Gasmask Terror, Monarch, Shock and more

“A glint of steel and a flash of light! Hiding underground since their 2016 demo, Bordeaux’ own defenders of the d-beat faith Bombardement have been leaving a trail of destruction that’s second to none. Pounding the world like a battering ram and deadly as a viper, their debut LP races through 8 new tracks at breakneck speed with high octane. You’re in for surprise, you’re in for a shock. There’s many who tried to prove that they’re faster but they didn’t last and they died as they tried. Rock hard, ride free: some heads are gonna roll!” (Jukka Priest)

Our take: Debut vinyl from this French d-beat band. Bombardement takes a lot of inspiration from Discharge, as do a lot of bands these days. However, Bombardement doesnt sound like many other modern d-beat bands. First, the recording is not self-consciously raw. This 12 has a big, clear, and modern sound that is heavy and thick without sounding polished or anything like stadium crust. Second, Bombardement seems to borrow more heavily from the Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing era of Discharge than the earlier singles and Why? MLP. Just listen to the track Greed Prevails. The main riff is a descendent ofDrunk With Power, which is a strange Discharge track in how the riff seems to float rather than rip, rage, or crush, and Bombardement accentuates that quality with an excellent, lengthy guitar solo section in the middle. While I love the moments on this record that feel stretched out, Bombardement can also write a grade A ripping d-beat track, as evidenced by Wheel of Destruction and The Brink of Collapse. While much of the d-beat worlds attention seems focused on releases that are very noisy and/or psychedelic, Bombardement explores a whole different corner of the Discharge aesthetic here and, in the process, delivers a crushing record.