Ugly, violent music for ugly, violent people. You really didn't want to fuck with Buzzoven, with live shows to match the Dwarves in their heydey and the biggest "Fuck You" attitude going. With their caustic brand of hardcore and sludge (before it really existed), Buzzov*en reached their peak with their 'Sore' album back in '94. These tracks from the same sessions that spawned that opus have been lovingly resurrected by Relapse for this release and really show a band way ahead of their time in terms of sheer aural violence.

'Mainline', whose intro is the first of many choice sound-bites contained herein, is a hefty slug to the guts; down-tuned and crusty and based around a simple, yet very effective, churning riff, you really do feel dirty by the end of it. 'Paintake' is like 'Bleach'-era Nirvana if Kurt's smack had been laced with PCP. Ditto 'Breed', but with a splash of Eyehategod thrown in for good measure. 'Nod' is 15:30 of Neurosis-tinged drug paranoia in a "musical" form - seriously fucked-up. Closer 'I Never' starts in similar manner before exploding in a final Melvins-like lurch to the finish.

In fairness, five songs is the perfect duration for this release as you'd be hard pushed to take much more of an aural and psychological pummeling in one sitting. Good though.

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