Burial – Renegade (Hardware Records)
Two things to consider with the new Burial album. First, anybody approaching Renegade expecting the UK electronic producer should just keep on moving, as this one – the German metal-punk band – couldn’t really resemble the former any less (and in fact predated the former by a few years. Given that the electronic Burial was able to use computers and such to make some of the better electronic music of the past decade, one might assume that he could have done a quick Google search before naming his project, but apparently this would be a mistaken supposition).
Burial – Renegade (Hardware Records)
Two things to consider with the new Burial album. First, anybody approaching Renegade expecting the UK electronic producer should just keep on moving, as this one – the German metal-punk band – couldn’t really resemble the former any less (and in fact predated the former by a few years. Given that the electronic Burial was able to use computers and such to make some of the better electronic music of the past decade, one might assume that he could have done a quick Google search before naming his project, but apparently this would be a mistaken supposition). Second, anybody expecting the German band should brace themselves for a general lack of surprises. But this is hardly harsh criticism, as they’ve proven themselves one of the better bands attempting the sort of metal-infused crusty hardcore that, over the last decade, has become both increasingly popular and, in most hands, uninspired.
Burial’s only marked shift from previous albums is a slightly more rock-oriented direction approach that pops up occasionally in songs like “Out To Die.” Even this isn’t much of a change, as Burial had embraced the more rock/metal side of the style since the start, though rarely has it manifested itself as plainly as in moments like this. But fans need not fear that they’re pulling out a How We Rock or a Grave New World; instead, they utilize Judas Priest-style harmonized guitars and intermittent mid-tempo moments (or the cowbell on “Boiling Blood”) to accentuate the speed and aggression present on the bulk of the album. The recording quality retains the delicate balance between rawness and clarity present on their other albums, allowing the songs’ power to be adequately conveyed.
There’s been no shortage of this sort of band in recent years (thank/blame Tragedy). However, unlike so many of the arena crust groups that’ve attempted to get in tune with their inner Wolfbrigade, Burial has taken to heart the lessons of their better forebears – Death Side, Selfish, Puke, etc. – by retaining rawness and energy, avoiding the genre cliches that can otherwise plague decent attempts to mine this particular vein. Though they’ve honed a few of their stronger points, their general approach remains much the same as when they started a decade ago – solid songwriting, a cohesive meshing of influences, and enough of a frantic edge to separate them from the legions of others attempting the same style. There’s little in the way of surprise but nothing disappointing either, only a brisk set of eight songs that offer a quick lesson on how to play this sort of music right.
