Anguish

Smoke & Mirrors (2012)

Fwrites

Leeds lads Anguish have been one of the more shorter lived yet productive metal bands of recent memory. Forming near the end of 2011, the band had a bright future from the get-go; their demo, The Path of Mystery, showed an inventive take on the well-worn crossover sound, with echoes of Holy Terror and sludge, whilst never betraying their stoned origins. From there Anguish went on to play with groups ranging from hardcore stalwarts Integrity to UKHC's shining stars Breaking Point, alongside metal brethren Forsaken and No Reality (the latter of which they were meant to be playing a European tour with in September). News has recently come to light that Anguish is over, their final release being Smoke & Mirrors, with a final show in their hometown, alongside Irish punx Bang Bros and touring companions/grungers Nibiru.

Overall, Smoke & Mirrors could be seen as the band cutting some HGH into their supply of Blue Cheese, so aptly have they taken their original sound and pushed it to the next level. Opener "The One Who Waits" is just under two minutes of Iron Age and Eyehategod riffing–no vocals, no bullshit, just mosh. Vocalist Say Layzell (he of Rot in Hell and tattooing fame) takes the lead with "Caged," his singing having progressed from shouting into more of a shriek. It adds a new dissonance to the methodical, rumbling instrumentation, before it bursts into life with a thrash break. "Dropout" sees the band lead with riffing not a hundred miles from Closure, of which the band is partly formed from. The vocals seemingly remain above the fray and are tinged with an echo, a choice that may prove divisive but adds a unique aspect nonetheless. The myriad elements the track brings together work well, from the doomy basswork to the final, no-nonsense hardcore breakdown. "Loveless" is undoubtedly the standout track of the entire record, blending the aforementioned elements and adding Type O Negative style clean vocals and even a Weedeater-style stoner vibe.

Need proof of idiosyncrasy? The band ends on "Kiss From A Rose." No, this isn't a title rip-off in the vein of "Loveless," but a straight-faced cover of Seal. Mixing again clean vocals alongside surprisingly catchy guitars, if any band could incite mosh with the work of a '90s R&B legend, it's Anguish. It says a lot for a band who put the moon smoking a bong on a t-shirt; a sense of humor, individuality, bringing disparate genres–and fans–together with success. It's a hell of a shame they'll be going soon, check them out before they call it a day.