Aural Aggravation

Christopher Nosnibor

Human Impact may have cancelled the UK leg of their tour citing, among other things, Brexit – which is disappointing, but unsurprising – but the arrival of new music offers some solace, I suppose.

Put simply, the UK’s separation form the EU has completely fucked the arts, especially touring musicians not only within the UK, but those wanting to play here, and not only those coming from the EU. The idea that we’re some kind of powerful supernation with immense international clout for trade and everything else is beyond deluded: we’re a small island with little to boast economically right now. So here I am, sitting by candlelight in an attempt to reduce my energy consumption, while sipping a pint of homebrew because the price of beer is soaring almost as fast as diesel and train fares – which is one reason I’ve not been to a gig all month, and it’s starting to feel like lockdown as actually better than this, meaning the timing of arrival of ‘Imperative’ couldn’t be better.

The band announced a new lineup with the release of their first new material since last year’s EP01 as follows: ‘Human Impact is super excited to announce that our line up for the upcoming European tour will include Jon Syverson (Daughters) on drums and Cooper (Made Out of Babies) on bass. We will miss Phil Puleo and Chris Pravdica, but our evolution as a band continues and Jon and Coop will join us in making these live shows truly unforgettable. Human Impact’s self-titled debut album arrived on the eve of the pandemic back in March 2020, which received much critical acclaim and landed them the front cover of New Noise Magazine France. Human Impact followed up with an eight-song EP, dubbed EP01 a year later in March 2021 which featured a mix of singles and unreleased B-sides that were recorded simultaneously to the debut album. ‘Imperative’ is the first new music from the band since then’.

It’s one hell of a way to herald the new phase of the band. ‘Imperative’ is an absolute beast of a tune, an angry grey mass of anguish and angst that slams and grinds and kicks and churns with the nihilistic fury of the best of Unsane and Daughters. It’s brutal, not in its abrasion, but in its straight-up solid bludgeoning. The guitars are steely, but corroded, the sound of twisted metal against a frenzied bass and rolling drums. Feel the pain.

AA

2022 TOUR DATES

15/06/22 : Sonic Morgue @ Kuppelhalle/Silent Green – Berlin (DE)

17/06/22 : Trix – Antwerpen (BE) 1

8/06/22 : Paradiso – Amsterdam Noord (NL)

19/06/22 : Mezz – Breda (NL)

20/06/22 : Botanique – Brussels (BE)

21/06/22 : Paard – Den Haag (NL)

22/06/22 : Grand Mix – Tourcoing (FR)

24/06/22 : Hellfest – Clisson (FR)

25/06/22 : Nadir – Bourges (FR)

26/06/22 : La Ferronerie – Pau (FR)

27/06/22 : Sye electric – Gigors et Lozeron (FR)

28/06/22 : Tannerie – Bourg en Bresse (FR)

29/06/22 : Sedel – Lucerne (CH)

30/06/22 : SoloMacello @ Bloom – Mezzago (IT)

01/07/22 : RCCB – Rome (IT) 0

2/07/22 : Freakout – Bologna (IT)