24th July 2024

Review: “World Of Snakes” by Spread Thin

After laying the foundations with three singles in 2022 in “IDGAF“, “There Is No Way Out” and “Careless“, La Crosse Wisconsin natives Spread Thin return with their debut album “World Of Snakes“. They do so having built a reputation for fusing Hardcore with Power-Volence, Grind and Sludge to create a hostile, unapologetic and impassioned sound for those who like their music fast, loud and without restraint. Their live performances have been described as emotionally driven chaos with lively bass, pummelling percussion and scraping guitars which leave everyone in a sweaty mess; so can their studio performances match that level of energy and intensity? Guitarist Alex DeWall, vocalist Ben Deml, bassist Bryan W. Fleming and drummer Tristan Wells certainly think so.

Developed in a live atmosphere, the rehearsal space was where the chainsaw riffs and barked vocals that form “World of Snakes” were made to measure with bassist Bryan W. Fleming engineering before Will Hirst at Restraining Order/Gate 4 Studio got his greasy paws the tracks to mix and master. That means that from the very start of opening track “So Much Hate” the record sounds like it was recorded live on the floor with a bass heavy mix and ferocious vocals giving it an urgent Hardcore Punk energy. Deml wears his heart of his sleeve with his personal lyrics which will resonate with anyone who has suffered from anxiety or depression as lines like “I can’t take any criticism, I take it straight to the heart” float around the brain like a bullet ricochet. That furious cathartic vent continues into “Factory Job” which will resonate equally with anyone who has reached the point with their job that sanity is hard to maintain. A Grind inspired opening salvo is followed up by bouncy basslines that inject a real sense of fun so it’s not all fire and brimstone. Wells absolutely destroys the ear drums with his percussive battery on “Gaslit“, arguably his finest of the album and influences from Rotting Out and Weekend Nachos bleed through the sonic abrasions nicely.

“Know What’s Bullshit?” gets going in classic two step fashion, the bass guitar once again acting as second rhythm guitar and at the forefront of the sonic assault. A war against doing the same thing day in day out without any respite, it goes nuts in the final moments with a fleeting moment of violent Death Grind that no one survived. A cut about how life is short, we don’t need to make it worse for ourselves and everyone else “Unjustified” then tears the roof off with Fleming adding a barked backing vocal for 60 seconds of violent turbulence. They say that sweet living is the best revenge and with “Friendly Deception” Spread Thin offer up a track that raises a middle finger to someone that f***ed them over completely and is actually pretty damn sweet. A mid tempo cut with an interesting melody it’s the lyrical title track with a hilarious sample and a scalding vocal. Another to which we can all relate, it introduces a hitherto unheard scream-a-long quality which is going to go down well live. DeWall having less of a role at points with the guitar work is an interesting style choice but it works well in a kind of less is more way; the band are just as in your face with their intensity and approach as any other, if not more so.

Adrenaline fuelled “Nailed” points the finger at religious enforcers for making people believe in fairy tales because the Anti-Christ has been put in place to have us believe in Christ. A cut that feels less emotionally charged than some of the earlier offerings it still has that razor sharp delivery that tells you that it means more than meets the eye. One minute you feel on top of the world, the next you feel like you’re in hell? “Moodswings” should have the word “Violent” inserted in front of it because it packs a real punch in heavy hitting Hardcore. The vocal dynamic is well worked between Deml and Fleming with the tonal differences between their voices giving it the killer instinct to add to the all out rhythm attack. Once more with feeling? “Listen Up!” is a pure unadulterated slap in the face to those who are ruining future of humanity with their short term, get rich quick and f*** the rest of us approach. Forget your sinister synths and flaming solos because the stripped back and raw sound of Spread Thin has depth, integrity and intelligence in place of those things and it’s all the better for it [8/10]

Track Listing