Masakari - The Prophet Feeds (Southern Lord)

The best way to convey total hatred, disgust, and downright anger at social injustice, political deceit and the religious misgivings of a world out for itself, is through the medium of the heaviest, loudest, and downright fastest bile of metal and hardcore punk attuned to our primitive ears, and Masakari do this to magnificent affect.

Combining sound bites from film/TV broadcasts amongst their blend of crust-punk and D-beat (named after the many imitators of the band Discharge fact fans), the band, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, manage to do what many acts in a similar vein fail to; rather than reflect abstract fear and unease in the listener, they manage to grasp all the fears and unruliness of the world, put their arm around you, and invite you to scream out against them, as one.

‘XV Echelon’ is the highlight of a record which offers more in 30 minutes of ferocious playing than many bands try to convey in a lifetime. While the message imbedded in the music is vital to the band (the outro is full of emotion unexpected in this genre, and really unsettles you with the heartbreaking stories of a soldier in his fight against the real terrorism), it’s important not to overlook the performance of the band, who’s skill and foresight shines throughout, starting from the opening ‘XVI Rapid Dominance’ and continued over the next 10 tracks.

It’s hard to say that The Prophet Feeds is an enjoyable ride, as much as it is a necessary one. Where many people may steer away from this type of hardcore music, mistaking it for just “noise” or “all the same”, it’s really time they took another look at a genre filled with an uncompromising message, perhaps not of hope, but showing that we’re not alone in our disgust and hatred of a society that has been screwing us over for far too long now, and if Masakari are going to soundtrack our fight back, that is no bad thing.