First things first: No Absolutes In Human Suffering is really an amazing record title. It reads and sounds good, it’s ruthless as fuck and it gives you a nice hint about what to expect from GAZA’s new full length. The first time I heard about this bands was a couple of years ago when they were playing with Converge, if I remember that right. I somehow liked it, but unfortunately it was a Sunday evening, which isn’t exactly the time I prefer to get exposed to harsh and demanding music like GAZA’s. So I kind of always had GAZA in the back of my head, but didn’t really check their records out. A big mistake, as I have to find out now that I have the chance to review No Absolutes.
This is the type of record you can not use as background music. At the same time it’s not a record you can really tag as “nice”: In every single word, chord and drumbeat lie misery and pain, expressed through a sick and brutal bastard born of Grindcore, chaotic Hardcore and extreme Metal. In this manner GAZA remind me of 90’s “bulldozer” Hardcore à la Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye or Coalesce. This is the type of record that makes you feel uncomfortable, gives you sweaty palms and a racing heart.
Needless to say, GAZA are doing all this very good. The song-writing is overflowing with ideas, the instrumentation is excellent and the cancerous vocals let facehuggers seem like nice dudes. Sometimes you’ll even get a glimpse of melody in between all the boiling hatred and it’s these moments that make No Absolutes a really outstanding record. Try it, if you dare.
TOUR DATES AFTER THE JUMP!!!
Aug 1 – Idaho Falls, ID @ The Wax House
Aug 2 – Boise, ID @ The Boise Venue
Aug 3 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Aug 4 – Portland, OR @ Backspace Cafe
Aug 5 – Chico, CA @ Origami Recording Lounge
Aug 6 – Reno, NV @ Ryan’s Saloon & Broiler
Aug 7 – San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
Aug 8 – Fresno, CA @ Chinatown Youth Center
Aug 10 – San Diego, CA @ Kensington Club
Aug 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex (Power of the Riff Festival)
Aug 12 – Phoenix, CA @ Chaser’s Nightclub
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