SPIRITUAL FILTH - Review by Metal Temple

From Bandcamp, "Spiritual Filth" is an album about trying to deal with severe shame and self-hatred as well as the paranoid state of someone counting down the days before facing eternal damnation. Dealing with isolation, hatred and fear. Through the philosophies of letting go, giving in and fighting back, "Spiritual Filth" is a warm embrace as well as a cold shower for anyone facing the void. We're deconstructing love and empathy until there is nothing left. How can any human excuse their toxic existence on this planet? You have to forgive them all to forgive yourself. We all have a murderer in us. The apathy of forgiveness is devastating." The album has six songs, and "Itchy" is first. The music is pretty firm, and dark, but the vocals seem to float overtop, at least, until they turn into raging screams. The ebb and flow are calculated…at times the song is deeply angry and at other times, melodies flow.

"Katarsis" has some stranger sounds that seem to come together quickly, into a fast-moving song where the band's musicianship is immediately evident. It goes from docile to raging in the drop of a hat, and the vocalist has an impressive repertoire of styles. Her cleans are warm, but her screams could wake the dead. One thing is for sure, it's quite difficult to pigeon hole the band to a particular style. "The Modern Monk" is like a stream of consciousness type of sound. The music has an Easter flair, but the vocals are purely spoken words, and he often begins with "maybe…" "Auto Assassin" is a very fast mover, and at times I even hear some Punk in their music. They hit every accent along the way, and the instruments work tightly in unison with one another. The band are like a shape-shifting chameleon, plowing full steam ahead with absolutely no regard for how they might be categorized.

"Byllen" is close to fourteen minutes, and I feel like we might get another total surprise of what the band has to offer. The opening guitar work is intricate, and the band plays tightly like a well- oiled machine. It's a bit melancholy, even sad at times, and the vocals are sung in native Norwegian. It begins to build throughout the song, but slow enough that you really don't notice until the screams break glass. "The Mind is a Dog Chasing its own Tail" is the final song, and it's another fast mover with a balance between aggression and melody, and even some Punk tones mixed in. It can be as calm as a breeze, or as contentious as a menacing dog, but in both instances, the band's prowess is evident. This was an outstanding album from a band who truly defies categorization. The umbrella term "Progressive" could be used, but even that falls short. They play with absolute confidence, and the "fuck you" attitude of Punk music. Their musicianship is outstanding, and the songs are catchy.

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