Hissing hail from Seattle Washington and create a frenzied concoction of noise, death, and black metal. Permanent Destitution is the bands first full length, debuting on Profound Lore records. I have to admit that coming into this review I was quite intimidated. Hissing have an extremely complex sound, one of which should not be encountered by someone new into extreme music. I don’t mean to sound pompous, or one of those stuck up metal dickheads but this is an album that is going to make sense to those who really appreciate the minute details in extreme music. All I ask is that if you want to experience this album you MUST put a damn good pair of headphones on, and be ready to submit yourself to an anxiety drenched ride into the bowels of insanity.
Profound Lore will release Permanent Destitution on LP, CD, and digital platforms on October 26th. Find preorders for the CD and LP HERE, CD and digital HERE, Euro preorders for the CD and LP HERE, and iTunes HERE.
Permanent Destitution can be compared to that of H.P. Lovecraft’s classic story Call of Cthulhu. Imagine discovering an algae stricken shrine of Cthulhu in the middle of the Louisianna bayou. The sheer overwhelming power of experiencing something so divine (be it good or evil) drives any onlooker to the absolute brink of insanity. Hissing would be the sound playing as that insanity slowly infects the body, seeping into every cell creating a metastatic-like illness that is terminal.
The combination of slow sludgy riffing, mixed with off tempo ferocious blast beats creates uneasiness, and anxiety. Suffocation ensues as there is no time to prepare for the next assault with unexpected rhythm and tempo changes. For the entirety of the album feedback, drips from every speaker. Elements of screeching soundboards lurk behind the frenzied tempo’s creeping closer and closer until they dominate the leads (see “Eulogy in Squalor” for an example). The vocals are mixed perfectly between the instrumentation and feedback teasing the listener and drawing them deeper into a labyrinth of pandemonium. You could loose yourself just pushing through the cascading waves of sound trying to decipher the guttural, belching vocals.
Permanent Destitution clocks in at about 36 minutes, which is the perfect length for an album of this type. The noise elements present on this album loom in the background, building that anxiety provoking sound that Hissing is becoming known for and plays a role reversal from their previous efforts. Their mixture of death and sludge on this album are that of a master craftsman. This isn’t an album that you play at a party, or drink beers with your friends to. This is an album that makes you forget reality. It doesn’t invoke sadness, or anger. It promotes fear, uneasiness and makes you want to bash your head into a cold stone wall over, and over trying to forget that you have stumbled upon something so powerful, and enlightening that you cannot comprehend or begin to understand. The insanity that is Hissing will be the talk of metal extremists for a while.
On a simpler (as well as my attempt to fan boy for a second) note I loved this album. It is complex but has so many pieces that come together in a perfect way. I am glad I gathered the courage to sit and wrestle with this album. I also have to say that Profound Lore continues to wow me with every release. When I started getting digging into the underground Profound Lore was that beacon that brought me to find some incredible artists. To be writing a review for one of their albums is an honor, and I hope to continue to spread the word about underground bands by absolutely incredible labels. Finally, I have to say that Hissings logo is about as insane and obscure as their sound. Below is a sampling…you can thank me later for the tinnitus.
HISSING Live:
10/28/2018 Highline Bar – Seattle, WA w/ Bone Sickness, Cavurn, Fou
