Pristina
The Drought (Ov Salt and Sorrow)
01. Moonshiner
02. Because I Can Kill You
03. Salt Water Cthulhu
04. Temple of the Morning Star
05. The Drought (Ov Salt and Sorrow)
[Trendkill | 9/28/10]
Despite what the title and cover of Pristina’s The Drought (Ov Salt and Sorrow) leads you to believe, Pristina are not a black metal band (shock and awe abound). Rather, the Connecticut based band are actually firmly rooted in grindcore, adding touches of sludge and doom for a very grim (and thoroughly pissed off) mentality. Pristina has been around for a few years, only recently getting around to releasing their full length debut record, The Drought, produced by Today is the Day’s Steve Austin.
Unlike most grindcore or powerviolence bands (I’m told there’s a distinction between the two, although I don’t really see it), Pristina passed over the short album/epic length tracklist trope in favor for a 5 track run at 45 minutes in length, with the album’s title track clocking in at almost 23 minutes, which is practically unheard of in the genre. This lends a slightly progressive feeling to the album, which is welcomed.
Musically, just about everything on The Drought is just right. The guitar work carries a dynamic that ranges from atmospheric and ominous with a sense of impending doom to pissed off and at full force with riffs big enough to be taken out of Scott Hull’s personal tab book. The bass provides a solid chunky foundation and sits well in the mix alongside guitar. The drumming is spot on and absolutely pummeling, with fills thrown about left and right with disregard for the safety of children and small animals.
