Genital Tomb

Ash Pool is most commonly known as "that black metal band with that guy from Prurient in it." To be honest, Ash Pool is a much, much better band than Prurient. What we have here is raw black metal with an oddly "pop" sound to it. A uniquely upbeat style of riffing as much influenced by metalcore as by black metal. The production here is basically non-existent. It sounds like a 4-track recording. But in this case it works. The recording is muddy as hell, and you sort of just have to take their word for it that the bass guitar and most of the drum kit are there, but the guitar sound is excellent and the vocals sound as hateful and misanthropic as they should in a band like this.

There are four songs here. Lascivious Tyranny and Dragged Down the Cobblestones both demonstrate that upbeat melodic sensibility. In particular, though, I like the vocals on the latter, which sound punk as hell in that "sing along with this" sorta way. And as far as "punk as hell" goes, that would be a great description of Demolishing Obsession and First Rape, although nothing here would sound terribly out of place on an obscure old 80's hardcore record if it weren't for the vocals.

Ash Pool are probably my favorite USBM band right now, and this release is a great example of why.