ILUSION - s/t CS

[Band: Canada]

[Label: Dirty Snap]

This EP, part of a stellar batch of recent releases from the Tunisian/Canadian label A World Divided, opens auspiciously, with the heart-pounding “State Kiss.” For almost a minute, “a kiss” is repeated in whispers and hisses, backed by a skittish guitar and pounding drums, conjuring the manic tension of the Dead Kennedys. The whispers transition into moans before exploding into a drawn-out scream, the guitar bursting in and the song proper beginning in urgent earnest. The Montréal-based band mixes a sludgy Pacific Northwest sound with raw hardcore, the vocals mixed low and the music presented without any bells and whistles. “Forgive?” is a perfect example, the bass and guitar working together to create a doomy, Wipers-esque vibe. “Metiche” has a metal, almost Sabbath guitar, while the closing track “A World Without a Breath” shifts back and forth between a street punk-style verse and a gloomy bridge. (Best bandcamp review)