Album Review: BRAT – Social Grace (Prosthetic Records)

New Orleans deathgrind/hardcore band, BRAT, are set to release their debut album ‘Social Grace’ via Prosthetic Records on March 15th, 2024.

Say hello to BRAT, your new favourite band. Can you believe that they’ve only been around since 2021 and this is their debut album? Talk about making waves in such a short amount of time.

Self-described as having a barbiegrind/bimboviolence aesthetic, something that makes more sense when you see their videos, BRAT come from the uglier side of heavy music. Something that is front and centre with the first two tracks, Ego Death and Hesitation Wound. BRAT are on reckless form here, and it’s just wonderful. A harsh and coarse blast that is assuredly extreme, drawing from so many different genres, and delivering something completely them. If you’re not sold from the start, chances are you won’t be full-stop.

Of course, grinding and violent heaviness like this isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t leave an impression on everyone. With Slow Heat, BRAT take the slower and doomier sound that appeared at the end of Hesitation Wound, and amp up the uncomfortableness. Before unleashing a hellacious example of death metal twisted by powerviolence. Then there is Truncheon, a track that goes from mulching speed to one of the most absurdly heavy breakdowns heard in some time. That the final part is all about two-stepping, shows you that BRAT are f**king insane, and this track is the brightest showcase of that insanity. All this, within 93-seconds.

Are the neck muscles nicely warmed up? Good, because they’re needed for Human Offense. Something a bit more experimental, but undeniably abrasive too. Few bands chop and change style this often and this smoothly across an entire album, let alone in each and every track. Case in point, Rope Drag has thrashy touches, puts the death at the forefront for a riffier listen, and Blood Diamond finds BRAT exploring more varied grind ideas, while infusing a ton of powerviolence and metallic punk into their sound.

This album might be short, but it’s so far from a ‘one and done’ listen. There’s just too many layers to BRAT’s sound and to much going on in each track to take it all in with one listen. This needs to ferment and right up to the end, with Snifter, Sugar Bastard, and the title track, they straddle the genre lines perfectly. This is garish and grim music, chaotic as hell, but from a lovable and infectious standpoint.

It’s always a damn good sign when you’re left hungry for more. More than seems guaranteed as BRAT have already turned a ton of heads, and this debut album is only going to increase that number.

BRAT – Social Grace Track Listing:

1. Ego Death
2. Hesitation Wound
3. Slow Heat
4. Truncheon
5. Human Offense
6. Rope Drag
7. Blood Diamond
8. Snifter
9. Sugar Bastard
10. Social Grace

Links

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