Richard HolmesSarabante – Poisoned Legacy (Southern Lord)
Genre: Hardcore/Crust Punk
Hailing from a country in crisis, Greek hardcore outfit Sarabante have plenty of things to be angry about… and the tension and strife found in their homeland is ingrained into Poisoned Legacy.
The band’s sophomore album is as mad as hell; reeking of tear gas and burning petrol, it’s the soundtrack to a nation on the edge. It’s also a damn fine hardcore record. Eternal Complacency could be one of 2016’s d-beat anthems, fuelled by the spirit of Discharge ’82 and with a weighty delivery that rams its point home, In Deceit Times weaves in spiky melodies a la Swedes Martyrdöd, and Aionia Pligi is four minutes of pure vitriol.
There’s variety here too – Sarabante mix up their d-beat riot starters with moments of crushing bleakness such as Black Thorns and Isovios Fovos, songs that prove Sarabante are no bunch of discore plagiarists.
Poisoned Legacy is enriched by its darkness, its sense of impending (or very real) disaster – and it’s one of the most emotional and powerful hardcore releases you’ll hear this year.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 8/10 Toxic Shock