Holodomor's life was short and vicious. The band, named after the famine in Ukraine in 1932 that was caused by bad agricultural policies or was actually an act of genocide, formed in 2009. The sole release from them is 'Témoignages de la Gnose Terrestre' EP.

As you might have guessed, the band wasn't there to sing about butterflies and fluffy clouds, but were actually one of the most extreme acts to emerge from England in last years, or even in a longer period. The band's take on black/thrash metal (former being the majority, at around 70% I'd say) was aggressive and chaotic, really pernicious. Sometimes, especially on 'Evoke' I feel really grindcore-ish attack of senses. These five hymns of hate are filled with so sweaty belligerence, that it's not at all easy a level of spite to reach. Everything is attacking; both barbaric and mind-fucking. For a bigger part, the music is built on weirder tempos, with some straighter bits occurring every now and then. For a big part, the tempos are fast, but there are slower deranged parts, too. None of the music is really catchy in "let's whistle that bit" way, but it simply gets under a listener's skin by its rude force and drive. It's more like that there are interesting twists and turns, for example insane guitar solos thrown at an unexpected time. Just like on those 1980s more wicked thrash albums...

The production is ugly, but still all the elements are audible, at least more or less. Chainsaw guitars, crumbling bass from beyond the grave, raw drums, and throat-lacerating and and blood-gurgling screaming and shouting of the vocalist. It all carries a sense, that these guys really meant it. It is powerful, and not flat. Black & white graphics design is simplistic yet effective and quite stylish. Or should I put it white & black... The lyrics are, thankfully, included. Not that they are anything too special, but still differ quite a bit from the typical "fuck your god" type babble.

Holodomor's life-span was brutally short, or at least their release history. However, during these 17 or so minutes they manage to cause more damage than many a band during their longer careers. If you seek for chaotic and attacking black metal mayhem, this is one to try. Not ground-breaking, but gives a lot of beating anyway.

Rating: 7- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
09/18/2012 21:20