The DevilsHorns

I’m not gonna lie. This album was chosen for review purely because of the band name. I have a friend at work, a man with an incredibly wide taste in music – so much so that others who have known him far longer call him a ‘music snob’ – who marvels at the magnificent names given to bands in the metal genre I love.

Industrial Puke have released their 2^nd album, Alive to no Avail on Suicide Records and it is a seriously enjoyable listen.

The Swedish crust/death metal quintet have fired into 2025 with an album coming in at under 29 minutes in length. With 12 tracks, you know that they won’t last long. This is the main joy in the album.

are riffs, my god are there riffs, that just refuse to stop your head from nodding.

‘The Regretful Climb’ is the longest track. It is also, arguably, the best song on the album, perhaps benefitting from a longer running time than the usual 2minutes or so most of the others have. ‘Biblical Corpse’ is another to get the neck muscles warm.

There are genuinely no poor songs on here. None of them hang about to annoy you. They are in and out, like a virgin in a hooker, never lasting long. ‘Average Dicks’ (no pun, well yes, pun intended) with its roots in Swedish Death metal but absolutely rancid in hardcore gang-vocal aggression is an album closer that just effortless ends the album.

If there are no poor tracks on Alive to no Avail, then it has to be said that there are only a handful of stand-out tracks. All of them are enjoyable, but little more. The vocals are your typical shouty hardcore style, perhaps shouty is harsh but I lack the vocabulary to describe them better. The short songs benefit the album, but the longest song is the best. Perhaps a few more over the 4 minute mark? Industrial Puke have the song writing ability to do this.

The final summation is that Alive to no Avail is a very good waste of half an hour. You can do far worse with your time. Need a quick walk with the dog – Industrial Puke in your headphones. Late for work and need to get there in half an hour – Industrial Puke on your stereo!*

This is a thoroughly enjoyable album – not making any end of year lists, but one that you will never regret dipping into now and again. Buy it!

*TheDevilsHorns does not condone speeding, unless listening to Industrial Puke.

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