The cover of the new Mercy Ties record is a lie. It shows the solemn aftermath of the Mount St. Helens eruption, the placid, soot-strewn roads and abandoned vehicles. It does nothing to prepare you for the savage, incendiary assault of Proper Corruption.
Recorded with Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Puig Destroyer, Thou) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Nails, Yob, Old Man Gloom) the punk fuckedness of the Seattle band’s debut EP, A Dim Lit Place, has been sharpened and grown more ugly. Now as a five-piece, they’ve channeled the venom of their live shows into these ten tracks.
In a little over 20 minutes the band uses d-beat, grindcore, sludge and vertigo-inducing mathrock to create something oppressive and relentless with only moments of relief, brief passages of unnerving quiet before another convulsion.
Featuring ex-members of Tigon, The Abominable Iron Sloth and Beau Navire, Mercy Ties is now operating at the height of their abilities, crafting music that effortlessly tears through genres to create something unique and venomous. So maybe the album cover isn’t a lie, but a warning of what to expect after Proper Corruption’s final note
