Enter another fascinating Floridian project; Neon Blud. Featuring members of Cult Ritual, Slavescene, and Merchandise (although it doesn't really have much bearing on this band at all), their original cassette demo was repressed onto black vinyl by Maryland's Fan Death Records. The preorders contained a limited ZZ Suxx zine packed with disturbing content and distorted naked bodies, blue photo copied inserts, and silkscreened covers. All of which were pretty impressive, if that's your sort of thing.
Establishing a sound as grating and potentially nauseating as a roller coaster ride after eating a two month old chili dog with sauerkraut, Neon Blud cultivates a haunting and inspired persona throughout this record. Distortion blaring at full volume, smashing percussion, and clean female vocals make for a unique sound capable of piquing interest, or turning you off within about 60 seconds. Don't be mistaken on this one, Whipps isn't another noisy hardcore EP, or even a typical "mysterious guy" release (whatever that means), but rather something which successfully pushes the musical envelope into frightening territory.
Whipps kicks off with blaring feedback and noise, backed by horrific samples, signaling the impending disturbing musical onslaught, and sure to raise some concerned eyebrows. As if on some fuzzy, drug induced binge, Neon Blud begin to labor through their first actual song with sloshing cymbals and ringing distortion which pushes the recording levels to the max. Oddly enough, the vocals are exceptionally clear considering how noisy the record is, creating an alluring effect which draws me further into the record.
"Neon Agenda" is an easy favorite, taking you on a haunting, car sickness inducing minute and a half ride which culminates with dizzying speed and feedback while Slamantha repeatedly shouts "Nothing for you/Pretend you're pure." The second song, "Sophomore Blud" is another ripper, utilizing a similar formula that's driven by a loopy, somewhat repetitious rhythm which drunkenly stumbles along until its last gasp.
While the sound is definitely not for everyone, Whipps is an interesting record which stands out from the growing pile of loud hardcore that seems to be everywhere these days. The vinyl repress has the same songs as the cassette demo, so for those who missed out during its original limited release and want a physical copy, definitely hit up Fan Death and BUY ONE. The rip also contains the lyric sheet to make sure you're follow along and achieving the intended effect.
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Cult Maternal
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