Originally considered a power violence band, north Virginia’s Drugs of Faith have long ago morphed into a sonic beast with its own identity. Sure, there are still plenty of blast beats on their latest, Asymmetrical, released on February 21st, but these guys rock as much as they grind. They prove violent at all tempos.
After a short intro, the trio tear out of the gates with “Desert War Eternal.” With lyrics penned by J.R. Hayes of Pig Destroyer/Enemy Soil fame, the song is a ripper with d-beat shrapnel flying in all directions. “Drones” follows and much of it is as fast and violent as the previous tune, but ends on a sludgier, more rocked- out sound that Drugs of Faith does so well.
“Microchip” leans even deeper into more mid-tempo material, combining noise rock and punk into a Molotov concoction. Richard Johnson’s vocals, which were unique (in a good way) on the faster material sound right at home in this context. They still find a chance to speed up on this song as well, but its the exception rather than the rule.
Johnson’s vocals are a highlight throughout. While harsh, it is not hard to hear what he’s on about. “Divestment” is particularly powerful. He bellows lines like, “food riots, climate refugees, resource wars” and “water is the new currency,” painting a grim picture of a not-so-distant-future, or maybe even our dystopian present depending on your locale. And song titles like “Desert War Eternal,” “Gas Mask,” and “The Next 100 Years” support the hypothesis.
The rest of the album continues the dance between fast and mid-paced, Drugs of Faith picking tempos like carefully selected weapons. At times, like on “Gas Mask,” they seem to conjure Converge or Ken Mode while the first half of “The Void” leans towards Infest.
Asymmetrical closes with the instrumental “Conspiritorial.” The riffs start off sludgey and escalate as the piece progresses, getting heavier and heavier and then culminating with one final, quick blast.
Tempo mixing has been a characteristic of Drugs of Faith since their formation, but time has only honed their craft. Asymmetrical represents the nadir of their powers, at least until their next release. Either way, the grim-rage of this release is addictive, and perhaps even comforting in these uncertain times.
