EP Review: Horsemeat – Falling Deep

Horsemeat is not appetising prospect, at least if the 2013 supermarket scandal about lasagne is anything to go by, so as a band name that might be a bit off-putting, but it’s worth getting past the initial reaction for this fusion of Prog, Grunge & Punk, something that band have dubbed ‘Prunge’. The “Falling Deep” EP was recorded by Simon “Ding” Archer (The Fall, Pixies) at Salford’s renowned 6Db Studios and mastered by Nick Zampiello (Torche, Isis, Genghis Tron) at Boston’s New Alliance East, the end result is something that manages to combine angular Punk rhythms and Industrial Metal thunder with the rhythmic elements of Funk, Rock and Jazz.

‘Huffing The Filler‘ opens with a riot of rhythmic drumming that launches into a discordant post punk that takes an idiosyncratic path, fierce punk verses are interspersed with intense breakdowns that morph into distorted rock moments before lurching off at another tangent before heading down into the ‘Subway‘, the second slab from the “Falling Deep” EP is more intense than it’s predecessor with some heavyweight riffage that descends into a spiky breakdown. The final cut ‘Queue Jumper‘, takes a more understated path, this ode to missed opportunities, drudgery and bitterness is the EP’s highlight, the track slowly builds it’s intense and unsettling spiky riff before unexpectedly fading out in a squall of feedback.

Whilst there is an obvious appeal to those who appreciate post punk unpredictably, “Falling Deep“s is an EP that crosses genres and blurs boundaries, you just can’t pigeonhole what Horsemeat are doing. This a hybrid of post punk and heavyweight core metal that is underscored by complex rhythms that defy convention, but for all its competing styles it’s a perfectly balanced EP that seamlessly blends the competing influences that each member brings to the band. Horsemeat have delivered an unrestrained and unpredictable EP that, unlike many genre hopping releases, should satisfy the cravings of fans of both sides of the divide, especially those who like things served up uncompromising and raw.

You can stream and purchase the “Falling Deep” EP via Bandcamp here