Cruel Nature Records – 12th September 2025
Cruel Nature have a solid track record for putting out some storming releases by bands who you could reasonably describe as ‘difficult’ but also ‘cult’. This is pretty much Pound Land in a nutshell. As for Headless Kross… The Glaswegian act’s Bandcamp describes them as ‘the ideal soundtrack to the slow unravelling of the world as we understand it. Their sound has been described as psychedelic doom – monolithic riffs, rumbling bass and primal beats lurk behind waves of effects, all strangely underpinned by ethereal shrieks of half heard words, possibly real, possibly not.’ That their name is – I’m assuming – an allusion to the fourteenth album by Black Sabbath offers something of a clue. The fact the label has pushed the boat out for an advance-order lathe-cut vinyl version of this release speaks for itself. At least in relative terms, this is a big ‘un.
Having toured together, they decided to put out a split release, and it’s pleasing to see these making a comeback – something Cruel Nature in particular has been spearheading. I’ve sung the praises of the split release on a number of occasions in recent months, and this is a perfect example of why they’re great: here, we essentially have an EP apiece from two quality acts who are – and this is significant, and absolutely key – contrasting and complimentary.
As the album’s accompanying notes are keen to point out, ‘The result isn’t your standard split album – it’s a sonic blood pact, equal parts homage and havoc’, going on to explain that ‘They also agreed to trade riffs and cover a song by each other: Pound Land tear into ‘Signed In Blood’ and Headless Kross unleash a doom-laden crushing riff-tastic seismic version of ‘Pathogen’.
Headless Kross are up first with their trio of ball-busting, sludge-trudge riffery. ‘The Thing Invisible’ is six minutes of thick, treacle-like riff-wading, with some extravagant solo work before the snarling, mania-driven vocals join the fray a couple of minutes in. Their take on ‘Pathogen’ is nothing short of devastating: a rabid roar tears over a thunderous trudge, and hints at how Pound Land would sound if they could be arsed to be angry or metal. The solo that breaks out toward the end is brief, but wild.
‘The Necessity of 3 Conditions’ is eight and a half minutes of relentless brutality. A Suicide-like throb pulsates: the drumming is almost buried in the dingy low-end mess and the vocals rip bling rage across the whole dingy grind.’
If you’re wanting some light relief, you’re not going to find it with Pound Land’s five tracks: operating here as a six-piece unit with Jase Kester back in the lineup and bringing layers of abrasion, they set their stall up straight away with the anti-capitalist, bollock-to-billionaires agenda served up neatly with their first track, ‘Fuck Off to Mars.’ It’s gnarly, twisted, dark, and despite the low-slung, dingy bass and rabid, reverby vocals which evoke Fudge Tunnel’s first album, there’s something about it that drags the listener in by the throat.
‘I See Crime’ is messy, dirty, but works, although I’m not sure if it’s because of or in spite of the angular contradictions of honking horns ad grimy guitars with a nasty low-end attack.
Nothing about this release is accessible: it’s low, slow, riffy, hard, heavy. Very heavy. Hypnotically heavy. It’s all the riffs, and is something special. Very special. Get this, now.
AA
Aural Aggravation 