Sometimes you come across a truly genre-defying band, and that is of course always both interesting and challenging. Sulaco is one such band, and their vinyl release Build and Burn is all over the map in terms of genre features, but what is interesting is that, while extremely eclectic, Sulaco stay within the boundaries of metal, drawing mainly on various types of extreme metal.
Seasoned metal fans will recognize elements from death metal, grindcore, sludge metal and thrash metal among others, and every song is an onslaught of complex riffs and weird guitar figures (imagine the most quirky elements from Mastodon's Blood Mountain multiplies such that they characterize the entire album). Fans of odd time signature especially have something to look forward to, as there are odd meters and weird figures galore on this release. Moreover, every track is so rich in riffs, passages, sections, and intra-metal genre transgressions as well as changes in time and tempo that the album can definitely be described as progressive, and it also borders on being avant-garde.
The vocals are more in an angry hardcore punk vein and consist of yells and screams. Apart from the vocals, which I do not consider myself a big fan of, the musicianship is obviously impeccable across the board, and especially fans of technical gutiar playing and drumming will enjoy this album.
Build and Burn is challenging and complex and fans of progressive extreme metal along the lines of Atheist and Pestilence as well as less death metal oriented acts like Mastodon will probably enjoy the madness packed into this release.
Track listing:
1. On the Fence
2. Build and Burn
3. Dingy Metropolis
4. Corridor
5. Make a Move
6. The Approach
7. It's Over Johnny
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