Racebannon

Acid Or Blood

Acid or Blood opens with the incredible “Vampyric Solution” and “Translucent Lifeforce,” but during the obscenely titled third track, at the 1-minute and 45 second mark, Racebannon reveal themselves to be an amazing force in present-day rock n’ roll. A devilishly slow riff scrapes the coals of hell, muscling back to deposit fire into the listener’s ear. The guitar bends and pulls, dive-bombing and surfacing like a demon pulling its prey into pieces while pushing it into the murky depths. At this moment Racebannon seduce the listener in a seamless combination of distortion, psych-ward screaming and pulverizing beats. It only gets better from there, making Acid or Blood the band’s most solid record yet.  

Years of touring have sharpened Racebannon’s edge into a truly frightening blade, allowing the band to strike with surgical precision. Mike Anderson’s tortured vocal delivery is pure gold, hovering like a ghost above the gurgling thump of the rhythm section. Gasping and screaming, spitfire lyrics hit like hollow-points designed to blow the back off the listener’s skull. The band is at their strongest during the one-two punch of “The Killer” and “Terror & Dread.” Ominously heavy, the guitars lure you into the frenzy first with chaos, then ear-damaging riffs and, finally, a hypnotizing wave of feedback that washes away all the blood and guts to reveal still more dementia and torment.  

Unlike the many agro-metal bands abounding like unwanted blemishes on a teen’s face, Bloomington, Indiana’s Racebannon bring something new to the table of heavy. Their music is more comparable to classic horror films than their musical contemporaries. Like Psycho, Silence of the Lambs and Jaws, Acid or Blood is a well-conceived and -executed masterpiece. Comprised of aural suspense and filled with tension and release, this album has enough bite to take chunks of flesh out of your body. (Chad Beck)