An ever-changing entity forged around the sole desire to play a particularly blistering vein of grind, Lock Up 2021 features the talents of Adam Jarvis (drums), Anton Reisenegger (guitars), the ever-present Shane Embury (bass) and the combined vocal savaging of Kevin Sharp and Thomas Lindberg. Recorded in an assortment of studios around the world, although you’d never know it from the razor sharp production, The Dregs Of Hades is one of those metal albums that arrives, seemingly with little fanfare, and yet which are destined to be spoken about in hushed tones ever after. This is, in no small part, down to the remarkable chemistry achieved between the five members, which needs to be heard to be believed.
Opening with the industro-cinematic nightmare, Death Itself, Brother Of Sleep, Lock Up lay the stage for a grand assault that fully kicks off with the remorseless Hell Will Plague The Ruins. A potent brew incorporating elements of Napalm Death, Brujeria and Raging Speedhorn, Lock Up don’t so much batter the senses as maul them into submission, with Adam Jarvis’ remarkable performance on the drums ensuring that the band’s orchestrated chaos never collapses into incoherence. Next up, the short, sharp The Dregs Of Hades bridges the gap between metal’s most brutal instincts and punk’s feral approach. That sense of punk’s untameable spirit looms equally large on Black Illumination, although the production maintains the clarity of latter-day Napalm Death, with Shane’s thunderous bass threatening to elicit a prolapse. The shorter Dark Force Of Conviction sees the listener simply agog at Adam Jarvis’ stunning performance behind the kit, while Misdirection Thief barely slows the pace, the band simply tearing into their instruments with gleeful abandon. Built around a classic riff, Dead Legions is characterised by throat-ripping screams that border on black metal, before the album’s dizzying first half concludes with the dark Triumph Of The Grotesque, a gloriously unpleasant nod to the filth-smeared horror of Autopsy.
Opening up the second half of the album, a couple of taps on the snare announces the arrival of Nameless Death, a swirling grind miasma with elements of Mr Bungle shot through its DNA. The longer A Sinful Life Of Power (a veritable epic at three minutes) is a darker piece all round, with multi-tracked screams toppling over one another. It paves the way for the surging horror of Ashes, a more straightforward take on grind and similar in execution to the similarly short The Blind Beast. The slower-paced introduction to Reign On In Hell allows for a sense of impending horror, but the band saved the very best for last. The six-minute Crucifixion Of Distorted Existence provides the necessary space for the band to explore their exceptional musical talents, whilst still holding true to the ferocious grind found elsewhere on the record. A stunning ending, it caps off what may well be Lock Up’s finest release to date.
Blisteringly fast, yet varied enough to maintain the interest, The Dregs Of Hades is one of the finest extreme metal albums of the year, if not the finest. The amazing production, blistering performance and obvious joy the band members have in performing the material all play a part, but make no mistake, The Dregs Of Hades is a resounding triumph for Lock Up and far greater than even the individual members’ CVs might suggest. Essential listening. 9.5/10
