Local Review: Ichor – Metal Bigotry

Ichor
Metal Bigotry

The lo-fi sound recording and instrument playing of Ichor’s unrefined, jugular-choking death metal is about at Mayhem-and-Burzum level (sometimes the guitars and drums need to make friends more), which is just fine with me, because what Mayhem and Burzum lacked in $100,000-studio recordings and target-market interviews in metal magazines they made up for in rare sincerity. It’s hard to believe the boys of Ichor are in their mid-teens, because their riff-writing, although not advanced, reflects an understanding of what is infectious, something that many rockers fail to grasp over a lifetime of writing. The riffs encompass aforementioned Scandinavian metal but also pluck from the sweet tree of Black Sabbath and even Melvins; dirty, dirty bastards that will surge through your thorax and leave your insides covered with grimy film. The vocals remind me strongly and delectably of Carcass’ Jeff Walker. Among SLC’s top 10 best metal releases.