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Album review: Picasso Blot – ‘Against The Wall’

By Alex Goose

Uncompromising hardcore punk fuelled by righteous anger!

The term ‘survivors’ has been thrown at many a veteran band, but Picasso Blot deserve it more than most do. After all, there have been no platinum records or sold-out arena tours for this trio, who formed in their native Slovakia nearly three decades ago, and have since relocated to Stoke On Trent, encountering plenty of adversity along the way. They don’t want your sympathy, though – they just want to blow you away with an onslaught of raw, unfiltered hardcore punk.

A voiceover condemning the evils of capitalism introduces opening track ‘Spreading Plague’, and we’re strapped in for the hardcore equivalent of a white-knuckle ride. The band have clearly honed their craft over the years, and hence they display serious chops on ‘Against The Wall’ – with elements of crossover thrash repeatedly rearing their heads throughout. Think along the lines of ‘The Massacre’-era Exploited, and you’ll have a rough idea where Picasso Blot are coming from.

Plus, at 11 tracks in 50 minutes, the songs have room to develop and breathe, so to speak. Early highlight ‘Flush The World’ is a case in point – initially a frenzy of barked vocals, furious power chords and relentless drumming, before guitarist Milan’s siren-like guitar solo leads into some seriously beefy riffing. No, it may not be as intricate and atmospheric as, say, prime 80s-era thrash, but it’s a huge step up from your standard hardcore punk fare.

As well as English, the band also sing in their native Slovak; alas we don’t know the language ourselves, but it certainly suits the music well. Hell, occasionally singing in Portuguese didn’t do Sepultura’s Max Cavalera any harm, and Milan turns in a similarly guttural performance on the ‘Konflikt Života A Smrti‘ – a full-throttle song that almost demands to be played loud enough for Lemmy to hear in the rock n’ roll afterlife. As it is, we’ll just have to imagine him nodding in approval, as he surely would.

If ‘Against The Wall’ has one weakness, it’s that the band rarely deviate from their tried-and-tested formula, but that doesn’t really matter when the music hits as hard as it does here. In the words of Picasso Blot themselves: “This is not nostalgia. This is not entertainment. This is hardcore punk as a weapon.” A damn potent weapon it is, too. Long may they rage.

‘Against The Wall’ is out now – buy the digital version HERE:

  1. Spreading Plague
  2. Wild Cry
  3. Flush The World
  4. Against The Wall
  5. No Way To Survive
  6. Konflikt Života A Smrti
  7. Čierna Duša
  8. There’s No God
  9. Bludna Cesta
  10. Deny The Policeman Of The World
  11. Never
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