Pupil Slicer - Mirrors | Review

When faced with an album cover such as this the mind spins. The bands moniker brings to mind a vicious scene from a Salvador Dali 'feature' from the 30's (yes, the 30's!) much like the film the imagery here is stark and powerful with a slew of collaged pictures which are immediately recognizable; themes of war, poverty and beauty stand out and the intrigue only grows. Based on prior experience one might assume this to encapsulate audio of a style likened to Napalm Death, Insect Warfare or Terrorizer.

There's one way to know for certain.

Plucked from the void the style makes an instant impression. And the assumption is somewhat on point; this is bathed in Grindcore values. Featured early on "Stabbing Spiders" runs a whopping forty-seven seconds.

However, there's something else in the mix, another element which results in the audio bearing a jagged, blunt and undeniably abrasive aura with abrupt stylistic breaks (Is this the definition of Mathcore?) "Martyrs", the first track, being the earliest of indicators that this isn’t going to be an album easily defined within traditional genre boundaries.

Unpredictability is the word of the day here, as well "grueling" as this is quite the strenuous workout for the ears, especially those not familiar with the aforementioned ‘style’. Suffice it to mention that those wishing for mere chuggery, speed for the sake of speed and melody will be invited to dig deeper (as this album smothers the senses), this contains all of this though showcased in frenetic amorphous bursts as well enticing calmer passages opening the door for a myriad of other emotions to flood the psyche.

To state “Mirrors” contains complex arrangements and that the musicians involved are insanely talented is much like stating that the sky is up. Some elements, however, are less than blatantly obvious. For instance, it's difficult to decipher that Pupil Slicer are from the UK; growls, bellows and the angst dripping vocal assault boasts zero accent. More surprising still is the fact that the throat responsible belongs to Kate (Davies) whose talent is an undeniable and unprecedented force of nature (vocal gymnastics within "Collective Unconscious" will make one an instant believer) made even more impressive still by the fact that she also handles guitar duties. Shocking, is that Pupil Slicer is a three piece (outfit), as there's enough turmoil and intricate unforeseen meanderings draped in masterfully-controlled chaos in these arrangements for five.

Obviously, “Mirrors” will warrant several spins to fully digest and thoughts will tumble as to where influence derives as it does so. But when it clicks, it clicks!

As a debut this predicts a brilliant future which Prosthetic should be extremely proud of signing. Now if only this damnable Covid thing would dissipate in order that the ferocity of the band’s talent and raging wildfire on stage presence can be fully experienced. (8.1/10)

Cult

Band info: www.facebook.com/pupilslicer