Primal Rite - Hatred in a Mask of Flowers 7"

Debut single from this new Bay Area band featuring former members of Scalped. They've managed to generate some buzz right off the bat, and in addition to this single they've already planned a follow-up record on Grave Mistake and a debut LP on Revelation. I'm not sure if it's just me, but when I listen to these two tracks, particularly the a-side, "Hatred in a Mask of Flowers," all I can think of is Integrity. It starts with this brooding swell of feedback, a chugging riff so primitive you could barely even call it a riff, and a whole heap of dive-bombs. The comparisons to Integrity don't end there, as there is plenty of lead guitar and brutal mosh to go around. It doesn't have the black metal and/or Japanese hardcore influences that I associate with Integrity, but this is a sound that seems, to me at least, very much rooted in the heavy, mosh-oriented sound of Victory Records in the 90s. I grew up on that style of hardcore and definitely have a soft spot for this style when it's done well, and I can see why Primal Rite is garnering a lot of attention. So pick this up and see if it tickles your fancy, and if it doesn't it looks like you'll probably be able to flip it to a Revelation collector in a couple of months.