Balaclava 'Crimes of Faith' 12" LP

Hailing from the filthy bowels of Richmond, Virginia, BALACLAVA spit out their warped take on raging hardcore punk with deadly intensity. The band was born in 2006, drawing from the blueprints laid down by the cults of Neurosis, His Hero Is Gone and Cursed, this virulent quartet scorn the simplicity of genre labels, choosing instead to transmute their punk and metal roots into something altogether nastier. BALACLAVA's sound ranges from sludgy, crust-ridden dirges to restrained, ominous melodies to moments of blistering triumph. Their debut full-length, Crimes of Faith, is a thoughtful, multifaceted expression of seething animosity and fervent exultation.

"Balaclava has the right to call themselves “Superdelic Gnarly,” because their new album Crimes of Faith, which will be released on vinyl by Forcefield Records/Cosmic Debris & on CD bySouthern Lord Aug.30th, is killer with no fucking filler! This band gives me what I need & what I want – some off the hook, dirty crusty punk with some voodoo doom. It gets even better, these dudes also can mold atmospheric soundscapes into sonic hovercrafts for your imagination to take a lift on before landing in a swamp of hate. Listening to Balaclava is like having your favorite five bands become one ultimate killing machine. I have to to give this band mad props for constructing 7 songs that shapeshift into so many varying moods, while still retaining one voice. They had my attention when I heard the first drum beat on “Victims” – the song took off & became this blackened drama where tension looked into the empty eyes of intense, only to realize there is no future, only now. By the time “Throne of Grace” wraps it hands around your throat, feedback starts to poke in your eyes as the drums are knocking away at your joints. Expression of the realest kind is what Crimes of Faith is all about in my book; no matter what the speed of the song, Balaclava will make encounter those emotions you might want to stay asleep. Deep down in the underbelly of this music you will find ancient blues riffs that when played with right kind of rage can be hailed as apocalyptic blues. As the record plays on, it begins to open up & they really start to let the weirdness in, or at least that is what you think, because at the drop of a dime Balaclava will drop the heavy hammer. Fuck putting things in boxes, that just stops growth, what I appreciate about this band is how free & open they are; if this heavy, I feel weightless. Balaclava will execute you with the amount of melody that Crimes of Faith is packing in it’s arsenal. The last song on the album, “A Prophecy,” is a perfect ending to a “Superdelic Gnarly” album – awesome job, Balaclava." - Cvltnation.com

TRACKLISTING

1) Victims
2) Throne of Grace
3) This City
4) A Prophet
5) The Geometer's Hand
6) Omega Point
7) A Prophecy