21st June 2024

Review: “Perfect Violence” by Dreadworm

Perhaps taking their name from the Graboid of Kevin Bacon’s classic 1990 movie “Tremors“, Riverside Californian Heavy Hardcore Sludge quartet Dreadworm have been nothing but prolific over the past few years. A pair of singles and a split with Majin brought their acid attack to an unsuspecting World in 2021 and the outfit haven’t looked back since dropping four EPs in three years with 2022’s “Purify” and 2023’s “Damascus” joined by “Worm Beats” and now “Perfect Violence” all recorded, mixed and mastered by Sonisphere Recordings (Grimelord, Silent On Fifth Street, Unleash The Cerberus) in Perris California. As if that wasn’t enough there have been a couple of standalone singles as well, each one cutting their hallmark core sound with elements of Death, Doom and Slam Metal in the process. A wildfire that can not be controlled, in truth they’re not a band so easily pigeonholed when it comes to style…

Sixty six seconds is enough for a one verse dirge riff laden downtempo Deathcore heavy hitter to feel like a baseball bat to the skull and while the lyrics are hilarious, “One Pump Chump” is arguably the most fun you can have over such a short duration without being involved in a chainsaw accident. The churning riffs continue into “Rattlesnake” before the band move through the gears, staccato riff breaks and blast beats giving Metallic Hardcore flavours as they batter at the brain. It’s the second half of the track that makes it however as the band get nasty with that classic chiming of the symbol in a issuing a call to the mosh pit before brutal downtempo couple of minutes that is up there with the best of them. Feeling like they’re almost defying the rules by bringing the breakdown in so early, it’s enough to crack a smile on the face of even the most hardened Metal Head. The caustic vocal performance from Adam Maitland helps of course, his shriller tones perforating the ear drum while bringing a sense of fun with the lyrical narrative and the odd left field moment. “Black Ichor” offers up another short burst of violent turbulence with palm muted riffs making Maitland sound like a driller killer over 90 seconds and all designed for getting bodies into the mosh pit. The downside is that there is an element of blink and you’ll miss it to some of these cuts, they beg to be replayed almost instantly but then maybe part of the blueprint is to create cuts that don’t outstay their welcome.

“Hate Chakra” is just plain nasty, a down tuned riff loaded weapon with an almost Doom Metal quality rising from the black depths before things really get going, the slow headbang appeal making this one to raise a poison chalice to. There is even time for an almost KoRn like Nu-Metal bridge before a crushing breakdown and scream-a-long final verse that is worth the entrance fee alone. Curiously while “Slimeball” has a similar guitar tone it actually sounds like it was recorded in a different session with a little more polish to it in the mix. One of those cuts with a name, its a venomously fierce vent that borders on Nu-Metalcore in it’s destructive patterns both sonically and lyrically. However the vocals are so brutally savage that its a winner with nostalgic appeal. Bursting out of hells gate with a powerhouse intro “Terrorizer” then gives us an almighty pick slide before a lethal verse. Punchy, raw and aggressive the band continue to toy with the senses, shifting tempos and sub-genre boundaries with ease while proving that Metal doesn’t have to be complex to be a damn fine time. Simple can be lethally effective. Perfect Violence is the perfect title for this short, sharp shock of a record because they incite mosh pit violence every time they take to the stage [7.5/10]

Track Listing