IN REVIEW: BOTHERED BY PRESENCE - HERESY

Okay. Another one. Here we go. Send music shit to [ fosterhildingmusic@gmail.com ] or DM me on Instagram.

photos stolen from band's Instagram.

I've been meaning to review this since the day it fucking came out and that was like half a year ago. Jesus Christ, sorry guys. Hope it was worth the wait because heresy rules. Absolutely crushing, no holding back, hardcore supremacy. Bothered By Presence is a perfect representation of their sound, too, absolutely crushing and produced excellently. Listen to this. It's short as possible (and so will this blog be).

Untitled jumps right in, intro clocking in at eight seconds. I cannot stress enough how enormous these drums sound. They take up every little space leftover from these sharp, aching guitars. Bellowing screams line the first half as strings slowly descend into scrambling noise like a swarm of hateful wasps. Massive double kicks destroy all space left for the second half as guitars chug between distortion like they're gasping for air. 

No Return gives us these classic hardcore riffs, just some fun and heavy chugs against a slowly building kick. The diversity in the screaming here is so sick--from gut punches to electric howls to chants, they're the perfect calling card for a pulsing groove tinged with destruction. "Goddamn" belts over an addicting groove that never sits in one place for too long. These riffs just hit some weird sweet spot that cannot be replicated.

Say Less slows down to a march against whispering vocals like some tired infantry. The vocal layers collide here to sound like some unworldly beast chanting mantras in the name of a merciless god, just so low and powerful and inhuman. The pedal play in these guitars is sick, using any and all means to sound as unnatural and heavy as possible. Dope.

I'm so hyped for whatever heresy has in store next, but I do have to say, you have to see them live to get the whole thing. Even when I saw them down a bassist and vocalist, it was unreal. Incredibly heavy, bashing, and so very clean, they are an experience. Thanks for reading. Sorry for the short blog. I'm tired.

8/10

Stream Bothered By Presence.

-Foster

See heresy live with First Degree, Beg for Life, Incision, and Blithe at Steel Cactus Brewery on January 18th.