“What’s in a name?” Ol’ Billy Shakespeare asked that question a long ass time ago. This was a question posited rhetorically to demonstrate that someone or something’s name does not indicate the good or bad of the aforementioned. In fact, face value is generally worthless currency and we all know that book’s covers belie some truly outstanding stories. This is absolutely fucking true in the (most likely tongue-in-cheek) naming of Belgian group, Horrible.
Filth is an outstanding example of the phrase “sum of all parts”. Each song seems to have its own agenda, yet as a conglomeration, an elevation occurs and an experience is had. Jonas Sanders, drummer of Pro-Pain, is the driving force of Horrible; being part of a legacy international hardcore act lends some pretty fucking legit gravitas that allows a musician to have a solid foundation upon which to build something different and new yet altogether familiar. It is within that framework that Jonas, along with Olivier Dris of Resistance decided to start Horrible. The result is an album that will appeal to large swaths of heavy music appreciators.
Being able to mash together a 100% nu-metal influenced song like “You Can’t Say No” with spoken/screamed rapid fire lyrics, pedal-effected guitar stabs, and stop/start rhythms on the same album as “A Thousand Souls” with blast beats, blackened death metal riffage, and a surprise thrash inspired breakdown is a skill not many other groups can master. It’s the musical equivalent of a BOGO at your local supermarket.
“Allies of Satan” begins with hypnotic tribal percussions that immediately and ferociously transition into a two step beat at home on any hardcore record. The up tempo driving nature never fucking relents for the entirety of the song. Then the title track, “Filth”, kicks in with an outstanding death metal homage. I’ll use this song to bestow praise upon vocalist, Déhà (of Dropdead Chaos and Silver Knife). What a fucking range this guy has. Powerful mids, deep death growls, and a dirty, grimy “clean” vocalization.
(Cue the clunky metaphor!) A long, long time ago I remember a college professor of history once stated that America is not truly a melting pot but a salad. A melting plot implies that all ingredients mesh and incorporate into a generally homogenous and indecipherable result. A salad can have many different ingredients but even when tossed together, those ingredients are still distinguishable. They both create something wonderful and unique but still maintain a large portion of their own identity. Horrible has given us all a fucking fantastic album of distinguishable singular elements that when experienced together leaves you with a satisfying listening experience.
To use another metaphor: Filth is everyone’s cup of tea. Drink the fuck up.
- Fav song: “A Thousand Souls”
FFO: metal, death metal, pomme frites, nu metal, cheeky band names, pro-pain, propane explosions, buzzsaws, thrash, being an ally of satan
Follow this fucking link to listen and while you’re there, fucking buy something from the band:
Windmills, Spinkicks, Headbangs, Push Pits 
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