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Album Details

• Artist: The Secret
• Album: Solve Et Coagula
• Label: Southern Lord
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-01-28

 

The slow, almost ambient doom of the opening track of The Secret's latest would have you believe that there will be lots of atmosphere to be had on "Solve et Coagula." But as mighty and evocative as "Cross Builder" is, it is also the end of such moody fare. The rest of the record is mostly two minute or less thrash tracks that are stripped down to a face-pinching core of rage. Bad title for a great record, though.

"Death Alive" and "Weatherman" are two of the most crazed grind songs I've heard in ages, and "Pleasure in Self-Destruction" is not far behind. Even one of the longer tracks, "1968," is not stop full bore: heavy, fast, with growled vocals that ring sincere.  It shows that, on top of the short, sharp shock, they the potential for the epic sweep in them, too. This band rocks, with drama and dread to spare.

Italy's The Secret have clearly learned a lot from American hardcore grindcore and crust, and pay us back by shredding the mold and adding something new to the genre. "Solve et Coagula" rocks filthy and bare-knuckled, and will please purists on any continent. Now about that title...

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