HELLBASTARD “Heading For Interlan Darkness” 2LP

A manic clash of guitars, bass and drums beating each other’s brains out in the same sonic bullring? Check. Despite already (if a little unbeknownst) being considered crust pioneers, by 1988, Hellbastard had firmly inserted themselves, even proudly so, in between a series of bifurcated genre schisms well-protected by those scene’s respected guardians. Their official debut, Heading For Internal Darkness no less perfectly exemplifies that schism. With Wendy V Gill’s haunted-cosmos monologues injecting some transcendental light into the neck otherwise being mercilessly ripped to pieces by Scruff and Scotty’s spaced-out vocal grunts, opener We Had Evidence to the equally arresting elevator-shaft-with-a-mind-of-its-own Death Camp to The Pylons whip up seriously dark whirlwinds into atmospheric dances of rapid energy and relentless spasms of spellcasting drama. Never mind metal, too punk for anything.