Plain and comprehensive, Scalp deliver a compact set of ultra aggressive, medium paced grind (yes) with their new EP, Black Tar. Clocking at just 12 minutes, the band’s ferocity once again aims for the throat with this mixture of the ugliest extreme metal genres and is done with you before you even notice.
With a bloated, harsh production, one crystal clear comparison can be drawn after the one minute abstract introduction of the EP: these guys are big Nails fanboys, and especially the singer. Black Tar doesn’t achieve the same earthquake as your average Nails rocker, but Scalp try hard to emulate the same kind of frenzy across the whole of Black Tar, especially in its faster moments like in “Jesus is God”, “Pollute” or the introduction of “Diabetic Necrosis”. The slower grooves are also sometimes too close unfortunately, for example in “Endless Relapse”, which sounds a lot like “Endless Resistance” or the excruciating slow ending of closing track “Broken Vein”.
It is noticeable how Scalp practice less speedy, modern noise / hardcore-like breakdown parts quite often, something that made me wonder if Black Tar generally reaches the minimum limit of velocity to be considered grind, but the case remains. As far as the originality of this material goes, get ready for a short amusement park ride for all Nails fans and the likes, yet for me in this case, it would be more relevant to stick to the original. However, Scalp are heavy enough and hit hard with this fine EP, which lacks a bit in memorability what it has in fury.
Three years since their previous EP, which was also 30% longer in duration, had me thinking that it’s high time this band releases a proper, careful debut full length album, and that will decide a lot about the perception they leave to the scene.
DAMAGE: 3/5
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