An abrasive onslaught of dirty, heaving riffs, frenzied drums and dissonant screams make Worn Out’s latest release Waste a crushing blend of hardcore angst and attitude. These boys have arrived and have clearly marked their territory with this EP.
My hometown of Cork is currently heaving in metal-fused music. Whether it’s “post-metal” sludgers God Alone or Partolon crushing it, or “hardcore” aggressors like Bailer and Worn Out tearing it up, the flag of war is flying proud over the city while the music’s battle cries reverberate through the streets and laneways. Worn Out have been releasing tracks since late 2017 and have slowly been building up to this release. Waste will be unchained, and released to the masses in early December, but I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to give it a listen and share with you all, some of its highlights.
Before I begin, “Hardcore” and “Metalcore” isn’t my forte, but when all is said and done, quality precedes everything. With Worn Out’s EP, everything is spot on. The production, recording and mixing of Aidan Cunningham was on the money, and captured the intensity and all the fury that Waste was dripping in. Add to that, the sublime artwork of James Sheridan and you have an album that looks and sounds like it should. Brutal and unembellished, it will peel skin and shatter glass. Anyway, enough of my rambling, lets get contaminated in Waste.
An avalanche of screams and chugging riffs tear into the opening track, “Waste”. It’s an abrasive onslaught of dirty heaving riffs and drums that rattle your ribcage. The vocal delivery of Xander Coughlan rips through the noise, with its scream-soaked cries driving the rest of the band into a frenzy. The high-speed tirade is strewn with scratching guitar riffs that propel the track through three minutes of mayhem, before the tempo drops and the drums clammer along the floor for the final few seconds. An absolute belter of an opening track that sets the scene for the remaining three tracks.
“Miles Away” opens with a raw and gritty barrage of percussions courtesy of Evan Prendergast, that catapults the track into another diatribe of angst and fury. A momentary breakdown allows a moment for more rolling drums and an opening for Xander to deliver one of those deep guttural uuuaagghhhss! “Miles Away” is a track that continues its gritty assault, before closing with some deathly growls from guitarist and backing vocalist Alex Heinrich. Another sublime and filthy “hardcore” track.
“Blind Eye’s” Galloping riffs, riveted together with Brian Bowell’s base lines continue the “hardcore” vitriol and relentless vocal tongue-lashing. High paced and downright muddied, the track closes to an industrial clambering, before releasing the final track, “Force Of Habit”. Dual vocals hurl venom and hatred right from the off, amidst the fury of guitars and drums. There’s no two ways about it, Worn Out throw everything at you, and one final breakdown and turn of pace chugs the track to its close, and finally releases you from its grip.
Worn Out have made a huge statement with this release. It has all the ingredients needed to be applauded by the “hardcore” hierarchy, but ultimately enjoyed by anyone who loves their music fierce and soaked in attitude. You will be bruised and battered by the time you have finished listening to Waste, but c’mon, you should have known this before you ever stepped into it.
