Soilent Green

Hot on the heels of the New Orleans’ extreme metal machines’ finest work, Confrontation, comes this reissue of their other finest work, Sewn Mouth Secrets, and the A String of Lies EP on one disc (no rarities or such bonuses added). Sewn Mouth Secrets was the band’s second album, and the first where they really fine-tuned their sound (they hope to reissue the kind-of-obscure Pussysoul debut someday). The production on here is arguably better than Confrontation, although the raw feel of Confrontation is refreshing. Some of the band’s most memorable material came from this early era: the String of Lies EP in particular being a wonderfully caustic blast of three songs (one of which reappears on Sewn Mouth Secrets) which really woke up the metal underground and set the stage for the full-length. And they both sound incredible to this day, time signatures weaving around the confused listener, grindcore and Southern metal and punk all spilling out of the speakers, with the ever-present chameleon vocals keeping things so lively it borders on madness. One of metal’s best, and given the circumstances in their hometown lately the guys could probably use some extra royalty checks, so don’t hesitate in picking this one up if you haven’t already.