PREMONITIONS OF WAR „Glorified Dirt + The True Face of Panic”

Music: Deathcore
Country: USA
Website: http://premonitionsofwar.com
Duration: 27.53


Cool Songs: Glorified Dirt, Illiad (Hector’s End), Time for Iron, I’d Settle for Sleep

Woah!! If it is at all possible, I think Premonitions of War have become an even uglier, more oppressive band than they ever were. When they unleased their second album ‘Left in Kowloon’ on Victory records in 2004, the sledgehammer brutality of their Metalcore/Noisecore collision was painfully plastered in your brain. In fact, their aural intensity seemed to defy the more straight up hardcore roster than Victory had assembled at the time. Seems as though Victory agreed – PoW are just too damn heavy – ties were quickly severed and we now see the lads reside in the more comfortable surroundings of the ‘Black Market Activities’ label. There’s also been significant line up changes in the PoW camp. This new two chapter release serves as a celebration of those changes and a massive cue to future material.

There is possibly a little confusion with this release. Metal Blade (who look after the BMA distribution) state that this the first recordings of PoW with their new line up featuring new vocalist Nate Johnson (from Dead Water Drowning) and drummer Corey Grady (also of The Black Daliah Murder). However, if you’ve been following the recent movements of PoW, you will note that they also appeared(with this new line up) on a Thorp records Split EP with Benumb a month or two ago. Turns out that those tracks were recorded in early March 2005, around the same time as the recording of this new BMA release. Who gives a fuck really, and I’m sorry to appear so anal, but technically this is the second set of recordings ‘released’ that feature PoW’s new line up.

This PoW release is also not a ‘new’ album. In fact it is a two chapter affair that features a re-recorded set of tracks from their 2000 self-released EP entitled ‘Glorified Dirt’. I’ve never heard the original, but clearly the intention was to get new boys Nate Johnson and Corey Grady to add their own flavour to some older material. The results are simply scathing. Recorded and mixed by Andrew Appold and Chris Topf Aftoora, the six tracks re-jigged here highlight PoW’s new found sludginess and death/grind style. The production is decidedly thick and raw; the songs wildly constructed with insane rhythm changes, backed by the hoary vocal rasp of Nate Johnson. ‘Glorified Dirt’ may contain older material, but I’d be very surprised if the band doesn’t pursue a similar path for their next new full length.

Chapter 2 on this release is entitled ‘The True Face of Panic’ and is the now deleted 7 track debut album of the same name that was released on ‘Goodfellow’ records in 2002. Musically, the insane Noisecore element is very much evident, but riff wise there is just a tad more structure and flow to their song writing. It must be noted that this is not a re-recorded set of tracks with the new line up. It is simply the original album tacked on the end. It features former vocalist T.Amstutz (who was replaced by B.Wharton for the Kowloon album), bassist N.Hale and drummer D.Schoenhofer.

Clearly, Premonitions of War have been through their fair share of line up changes – three members replaced and added since last years 2004 (and three different vocalists all up) is hard to deal with. Hopefully with a new label and this new release celebrating the current line up, they can now find some sort of stability in their ranks. For those who love ugly as hell, scathing Deathcore, PoW will beat you to a bloody pulp.

note: Quote: 7

Tracklist

Chapter 1
Glorified Dirt
Foolish
Marathon
Illiad (Hector’s End)
Time for Iron
Not a Word

Chapter 2
The True Face of Panic
Correspondence
Best Day Ever
Abomination
Hanging Man
A Minor Correction
I’d Settle for Sleep