Christ, this band has come a long way since I heard their 7" EP Whiskey Sierra that was put out by Dead Chemists Records a few years ago. I knew the momentum was building for them; their ever-increasing dominance over the UK live circuit testifies for that, but it wasn't until this album dropped that Corrupt Moral Altar really made me turn my head. Now I feel like I've been missing out on something really special. Nevermind - it's always better late than never!
Mechanical Tides is a perplexing, dense mixture of sludgy doom and blistering grindcore. The band craft their own sound out of these two polar opposites, all the while creating an unique and almost groovy middle-ground that doesn't really belong firmly in either camp. To be honest, it's fucking great. The drummer is an absolute machine but my favourite thing has to be those vocals. I'm not sure if this is the work of one, two, or three vocalists but the range here is off the chart. In the first track, I almost convince myself that Barney from Napalm Death is doing a guest spot (ironically ND's Mitch Harris and Carcass' Jeff Walker appear a little later on).
If you are into heavy music in any capacity, you really can't go wrong here.
