An Abscess on the Heart of the State
Tumultuous Ruin

From Bandcamp, "this album and its lyrical content were inspired by the books Against His-story Against Leviathan, Ishmael, Desert, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, The Dispossessed, the 1991 film Clear Cut...and a general desire to destroy all systems of oppression. All profits that TR receives from this album will be donated to various aid groups." The album has seven songs, and "Destroy What Destroys Us" is first. The sound is dark, thick, and aggressive out of the gate, and the harsh vocals echo in the background like an afterthought of sorts. It keeps a steady presence, with some pacing shifts here and there, but overall, it's a bit on the disappointing side for me. "Sabotage Glee" has a much faster pace with a riff that is overgrown and drums that move at the speed of light. The effects with the harsh vocals are well done, but the music leaves some desire.
"Desecrate Machine as Our World Dies" is even darker, but that along with the inherent aggression may be one of the only things the song has going for it. The riffs are just too simple, and they don't venture out from the narrow genre boundaries. "Revel in Downfall" is really the first song that presents something different. For just a few brief moments, dungeon synth keyboards enter but they are wiped out by a filthy black sound soon thereafter. The sounds here is both harrowing and deep, and the aggression can be felt, not just heard. "Unmoor" is a two-minute interlude of evil, black guitars, and nefarious vocals. It's about as dangerous as back hole. "Dystopic Hellscape" has a full, rich Black Metal sound as well as some more somber leanings. The vocals are near whispers at times, and there are also meaty bass guitar notes that you can sink your teeth into.
"Last Rites of the Dying World" is the final cut, and it presents darkness and aggression in one of the most primal forms. The title seems to come to life in the music…it's despair personified. Overall, this wasn't a bad album by any stretch, but it just failed to separate itself from the thousands of other bands out there in like genres. Intriguing at times, it was largely bland for me.
5 / 10
Mediocre
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production

"An Abscess on the Heart of the State" Track-listing:
1. Destroy What Destroys Us
2. Sabotage Glee
3. Desecrate Machine as Our World Dies
4. Revel in Downfall
5. Unmoor
6. Dystopic Hellscape
7. Last Rites of the Dying World
Tumultuous Ruin Lineup:
Unknown
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