The Love Below is one of those bands with such a unique sound and mood that it is near impossible to stop listening them. Their music is as abrasive as hardcore can be from the riffs to the off putting vocals. Ever since I heard the track “Some of Us Have Real Problems” off of an A389 sampler some years back, I was hooked on this band. I tracked down their demo and was beyond eager when their debut EP Reproductive Rights was released. Their next release was a split with Homewrecker, which featured three awesome tracks, all of which made their way on to Every Tongue Shall Caress. Finally we have their LP and it embodies everything that The Love Below is about. It is full to the brim with malcontent, debauchery and is overall one of the most unsettling things I have ever heard. I love it.
The riffs are nothing short of the best kind of filthy, verging on sheer dirty beauty. Sludge drips in every track like a death march only to speed up the pace into a pure punk riding beat, complete with frenetic riffage. The vocals are perhaps the most unsettling aspect of Every Tongue Shall Caress and are admittedly what drew me to the band in the first place. Half scream, half cry, the vocals dance effortlessly through anger, sorrow and fear. Lyrically, there is little Every Tongue Shall Caress spares, treating reality like an insurmountable enemy that must be mocked at every turn and in every way. The track titles themselves push buttons, notably “Nazi Uniform” and “Pedophile’s Basement”, which considering The Love Below’s penchant for crude imagery, is not surprising. Like said imagery, nothing about this band should be taken at face value. “Nazi Uniform” is a fast paced slap in the face to authority while “Pedophile’s Basement” wallows completely in a pool of self-loathing. The rage that permeates these tracks attacks everything else from corporate machinations (“Family Entertainment” ) to tyrannical religiosity (“God Don’t Make No Trash”) . Economic and artistic stagnation are the subject of “Buyer’s Remorse”, which could be the requiem for creativity. The self is the record’s most beaten victim and is sung with remorse pinched by apathy. This is best demonstrated in “Rotten Fruit from a Shitty Tree”, the record’s standout track. Every Tongue Shall Caress is one of the best metallic hardcore records that will be heard this year and is by far the most honest and raw. Filthy to the core, abrasive to the ears and unforgiving of the world it will make you uncomfortable, oh so uncomfortable. [audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/07-Rotten-Fruit-From-A-Shitty-Tree.mp3|titles=Rotten Fruit From A Shitty Tree] Check out The Love Below on tour this summer and pick up their whole discography at the always amazing A389 Recordings: http://www.a389records.com.
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