‘Social decline, depression, suicide and loss of hope form the premise of the album…’ That’s a hell of a press release to be faced with. ‘Desperation Is The English Way Vol. 2′ concludes the social autopsy that is Brother Hood Of The Lake’s mini-series.’ and fuck me, it’s brutal!
Plymouth five-piece Brotherhood Of The Lake are a band for those of you who think Botch and Norma Jean are ‘a bit poppy’. It’s dark, sludgy and really fucking heavy; a truly punishing listen. Even the artwork’s sinister.
It’s short, sharp and about as vicious as any record we review here gets. Singer Robert Clark growls and squeals his way through indecipherable things. Guitarist Rusty Cleave (even their names are menacing!) is dropped tuned and prone to occasional moments of needless fret-wankery, but it fits perfectly in. The bass sounds slack enough to tie its strings in knots and I can only assume BOTL have an octopus playing drums. If anything this release is even heavier than their previous offerings, and though that’ll certainly give a few people a headache, it’s a solid release nonetheless.
ANDREW REVIS