SNAFU – Exile//Banishment
Release Date: 15th October 2021
Label: Housecore Records
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Genre: Hardcore Thrash, Punk.
FFO: Municipal Waste, Slayer, Sepultura, Cro-Mags .
Review By: Jordan Burton-Morris
SNAFU has been cracking skulls in some incarnation or another since 2006. Spawned from the ruins of Detroit, Michigan, the band independently released their debut full length, Fear The Future, in 2013 after years of false starts. The songs bore a raw punk expression of raging cynicism and the destructive nature of mankind. Further honing their artistry, 2015’s Present Day Plague LP stayed true to their aggressive raw punk roots while working in elements of thrash and grind. This year they release Exile//Banishment, 6 years after their sophomore album, after having been signed to Phil Anselmo’s label, Housecore Records.
This album features a lot. Gutturals filled with passion, low, heavy guitars, chugging at a speed Slayer would be impressed with. Thunderous basslines and a skilled yet not overly virtuosic drummer are sprinkled in, creating the sounds you hear on Exile.
Track 2, Closed Casket Habits sounds like a Municipal Waste track waiting to happen, but as the album was produced by their bassist, it’s no surprise. Building on that, The Pear Of Anguish starts with a bassline that you wouldn’t be surprised to hear from Landphil.
The guitar solos that emerge on tracks such as Bring Suffering aren’t anything special, but they fit the spot. A little simplistic.
No Rites (For The Less Dead) instantly grips, from the slow, heavy intro. This is definitely my favourite track on the album. The way it picks up, the stabs on the lead guitar intrigue, the insanity of the drums, pounding away, fixate you. The repetitive chanting of “No Rites, for the less dead” really adds emphasis and passion to the track.
Overall, this album ticks a lot of boxes. The way everything comes together is sublime. Clocking in at approximately 35 minutes, it’s not a long album, but it means it’s all killer, no filler. The few guitar solos on here aren’t amazing, but that doesn’t make or break a song, especially in this case. Definitely ones to watch.
(4.5 / 5)
