Northless / Protestant
Volume Two [7 inch] (2009)
Brian Shultz
This is apparently Vol. 2 in Inkblot Records' newly launched split series, featuring one six-minute romp from Milwaukee's Northless and two throbbing cuts from fellow Brew City hardcore act Protestant.
Northless' "Temples of the Weak" is a craggy, sludgy track that bubbles and bristles through its extended course. The vocals are bellowed, though, and are actually somewhat clear in that department as their guy roars only a little vaguely about religious hypocrisy and hatred, while the guitar riffs poke and prod in mostly dense mannerisms. A decent Side A.
Equally decent is Protestant's "Ruin" and "No Chance," which, together, total just a bit longer than "Temples of the Weak." Their style isn't too far off what Northless does, but their thick, restrained pacing is left behind when the crusty, faster tempo picks up in "Ruin," which closes with some more demonic elements in the vocal area. That more elevated tempo also opens "No Chance," which slows down midway through for a second with some relaxed, nosebombing riffs.
In this particular subset of hardcore, it takes a lot to really make a mark, and while this split doesn't quite do that, it definitely provides an enjoyable slab of it all the same.