Holy shit! Where did this record come from? Consanguinity emerges with no hype, no prior announcement or any of those irritating “teaser” videos that are now standard industry exponents – in doing so casting a refreshing air of mysticism over the release instead of a formulaic and monotonous build-up. Consanguinity sees Pariso shed much of their penchant for brevity and insistence on getting to the point in the most intense possible way whilst maintaining the ridiculous levels of beats-per-minute to which they apply their terrifying hardcore fare.
Comprised of Pariso’s trademark pulverising grind, the soundtrack to many a violent and sweaty pit, Consanguinity exudes a more spacious quality than much of their previous claustrophobic hellfire yet compromises absolutely none of their impossible heaviness. A decidedly amped up production courtesy of Ranch Studios- the go-to studio for the UK underground heavy contingent, aides the bands newfound eye for expanse. It ensures moments of pure brutality arrive like a bludgeon to the face whereas sparse moments of relative introspection convey affecting atmospherics.
Instances of blurred intensity are decidedly more sporadic than their earlier output, the guitarists are now discovering the mischievous glee of penning riffs that crush and pulverise. Whilst sections such as the opening grind of opener ‘The Separation’ and the unstoppable driving force of ‘Pigs’ exude familiar levels of devastations: guitar and drums united in chaotic flurry, the sonic palette they eschew is capacious. Influences emerge from the murkier corners of the heavy rock diaspora, spreading their tendrils towards the unorthodox and toying with some ideas that exist decidedly outside of the box. There is even a occurrence of *gasp* sung vocals, somewhat of a faux-pas for many bands in Pariso’s field and a device seemingly at odds with the band’s feral and brutal disposition. Yet, in the context of ‘Tower of Genus’, a track modelled on a post-hardcore mould engrained with melodic inflictions that nod toward Deftones heavy/lush juxtaposition, the ‘clean’ vocals soar, contrasting the caustic grain of Mario’s defiantly English-accented screams.
The tired cliché of “heavy yet more melodic” can be applied here with upmost validity, the band awakening to the impact that a wider dynamic field can yield. This is a band who surely have yet to reach their creative peak, a myriad of potential pathways lay before the group. For Pariso, brutality knows no bounds, they are evidently still intent on penning the most uncompromisingly intense music their bodies and psyches can withstand. Thankfully, their curiosity to toy with moments of oddity and the unexpected leaves Pariso as an ever-evolving entity whose artistry can surely only proliferate.
4.5 out of 5 high fives!