by Scott Yohe
Full of Hell is back if only for a brief moment, six minutes and 44 seconds to be exact, with what was a tour-exclusive EP, Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound. For what this release lacks in length, it more than makes up for it with intensity, noise, and riffs. Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound is an excellent addition to Full of Hell’s catalog of death metal-influenced grindcore. It is loud, it is noisy, it is intense, and it is unbelievably heavy.
While this one will blaze by you if you let it, it does not lack substance. Opening with “Aurora Leaking,” a perfect tone-setter, Full of Hell immediately launches into a chugging riff, one that is as heavy as ever. The vocals are barely understandable, in the best way possible, but you can just hear the absolute disgust and vitriol in Dylan Walker’s voice. The percussion keeps up with the riff and the bass blasts along with it adding even more depth. “Swarming Hornets” seems to touch on a more post-hardcore and noise rock kind of sound. While maintaining some of the heavy grind Full of Hell is known for, it wouldn’t sound too out of place from a noise-driven post-hardcore band. However, the vocals set it apart enough from that sort of thing and it sure does sound heavy. The final song, “Blinding Erasure,” plays around with feedback and noise more than the prior two songs. Perhaps not as noisy as some of their collaborations with artists such as Merzbow and The Body, but it is as much noise indebted as anything they have ever released solo. This EP is as lyrically full of disgust as all Full of Hell’s past releases. While the vocals are difficult to understand, they are actually in some ways more understandable than they have been in the past, you just need to listen carefully.
Since Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound isn’t even seven minutes long, it works as an excellent entryway into Full of Hell and this type of music in general. It is a good way to dip your toes into this sort of thing without fully committing yourself to something longer. However, if you do commit yourself to this EP you will be nothing short of satisfied. In as little amount of time as possible Full of Hell is able to jam in as many ideas as ever and create a real experience. It begs for attention and repeated listens and it is very easy to do so. If you have a spare six minutes and 44 seconds to spare, you might as well spend that time on Aurora Leaking from an Open Wound, you won’t regret it.