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New Orleans' BRAT are very much out of bubblegum on their debut album 'Social Grace'. Combining death metal, hardcore and grindcore into a deeply intense concoction, the ten song and 21 minute album rips through speakers and eardrums galore.
Out the gates we have 'Ego Death' running rampant, at less than a minute and a half long it kicks down the door of the album starting off fast and frenetic before slowing right up and turning down the corners of your mouth, as it descends into a gruesome breakdown fit for spin kicks and flying elbows. Not content to rest on their laurels though, BRAT get riffing and let 'Hesitation Wound' do the rest. Befitting musical comparisons with bands like Kublai Khan and GEL, the biting guitar tone and half-growled half-shrieked vocals leave little to be desired in terms of pure heaviness - anyone who has so much as seen a moshpit in their life will be aching to stagedive once the breakdown here kicks in.
The best and worst thing about this album is summed up in one word: consistent. The riffs are consistently good, the breakdowns are consistently satisfying, the lyrics are consistently well-written, and the production is consistently excellent. However, so much consistency seems to have bred some similarity here, so the midpoint of the album falls down a little on repeat listens as it gradually blends together into one churning onslaught of brutal yet persistent sonics. There are plenty of separately memorable moments, for example 'Truncheon' has an utterly brilliant riff towards the end of the song, but portions of the album feel slightly lacking in uniqueness. That said, it is still deeply visceral and with more moderate listening it would almost certainly feel less cut-and-paste.
To cut back to the positives, 'Sugar Bastard' and the title track both feel like instant classics. The former has some crisp two-stepping parts and gripping lyrics, with tempo changes that keep it refreshing and also heavy as all hell, whereas the title track is the longest song on the whole album at three minutes long and features a few Slayer-esque guitar parts, enormous bass tone, and the best breakdown on the entire LP. Lyrically it stands strong too, with scathing words about humanity spat back at the world with pure venom that closes the album out in fine fashion.
For a debut album in a genre that has always struggled with homogeny, this is a stellar release. Even where it struggles with similarity, songs being similar to other good songs is a great place to be in on a first album. With some standout moments and a high level of song-writing shown, there is potential aplenty for BRAT.
Words: Jake Longhurst
Photo: Greta Gerstner
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