Review: Bruxa Maria & Casual Nun - Split EP

Now, this will blow them cobwebs away! Two of the goddamn heaviest and full-on bands around have combined to produce an EP of such visceral power that it will quite literally blow yer socks off. Bruxa Maria's debut, ‘Human Condition’, was a no holes barred lesson in brutality and potency, a record that certainly rejuvenated this ol' punk for a while. Casual Nun are no less vigourous but take hi-octane kraut/psych freakouts as their starting point - their two previous albums, 'Super Fancy Skeleton’ and 'Psychometric Testing By…' have both been searing forays into fuzzy psychedelic noise. Imagine if you will then the fireworks that erupt when the two combine to produce a split EP...fuck me, it's heavy but fuck me sideways, it's good. The EP is out via the rather ace Hominid Sounds and is up for pre-order as of yesterday (13th Feb). Must add at this point that Bruxa Maria were recently involved in a rather nasty van accident whilst touring in France leaving at least one member still hospitalised .... get better soon Matt.

Bruxa Maria contribute 3 tracks, the first of which, 'It's All In The DNA', blasts out of the starting blocks like Usain Bolt on amphetamines....a full-on, head-on barrage of hardcore punk noise that is as exhilarating as hell..uncompromising and brutal! 'Rise' comes on like the bastard child of Big Black and the Butthole Surfers (sod it, let's throw in some Skullflower in as well). This really took me back to my own formative years listening to Amp Rep and Blast First stuff.....this is glorious stuff! Their final track on this EP is 'People Die In Revolutions', on which they dial down the tempo, relying instead on wave upon wave of sludgy guitar and jackhammer drums...it is an intense, sometimes claustrophobic, listen but, again, brings back memories of so many legendary 'noise' bands. Bruxa Maria certainly bring the noise, if I may paraphrase Public Enemy...once heard, never forgotten!

Casual Nun bring 4 tracks to the party...'The Sweet Hereafter' opens with the sound of static and some oscillating electronica, building until the band let loose with a full-on attack of guitar, gutteral shouted vocals and drums that never waiver from their clockwork regularity...this is good!! 'Easy Now, Cowboy,' has a bassline that comes straight from one of The Stranglers early albums and works superbly in conjunction with some more rock solid drumming. The stabs of heavily reverbed and distinctly psychedelic guitars give the track a fuzziness that is added to by the similarly treated vocals, all coming together in a fantastically messy and gloriously psychedelic melange of punk and noise. 'Sherry Bell' starts in a very ambient way...a delicate drone and the tinkle of prayer bells... you half expect this to break out into more noisy mayhem but no....it remains beautifully blissed out throughout, which is why, when the opening barrage of 'Crane In The Water' hits, it hits hard. More sludgy guitar and echo laden vocals combine with a deeply immersive rhythm and the result is heavy and hypnotic.

This EP is heavy and dirty...raw and uncompromising...but also exceptionally exhilarating. From the first note to the very last it holds your attention and won't let go. Both bands bring something different to the table, Bruxa Maria more based on brutal noise and hardcore while Casual Nun are no less powerful but certainly more psych in their approach. The combination of the two is intoxicating. The idea for this team-up apparently came while sharing a bill in London a couple of years ago....bugger me, that must have been some gig. The pre-orders for the EP are up at the Hominid Sounds Bandcampo page here. For those that have never had the pleasure of hearing either of the bands....the videos below will give you a good idea.