Not even a whole year after the release of their debut self-titled album, the extreme metal mob, Bitch Hawk are back at it again with their latest full release Joy (Adrian Recordings). The short time span has no effect on the quality of the music whatsoever. With a diverse range of musical backgrounds in the band, from Ska bands to writing for Charli XCX, this mixed bag of influences and sounds come together to create this unforgettable album.

Vocalist Fred Burman’s tortured screams take the centre stage with clear similarities to artists such as Mike Patton in his latest project Dead Cross and Greg Puciato from The Dillinger Escape Plan. Meanwhile, a cacophony of noise erupts all around them, treating the entire song as a breakdown. There is no quiet interlude, there is no acoustic number, just pure wound-up adrenaline being unleashed. Whilst definitely sitting in the category of extreme metal, there’s so much more hidden behind the scenes that reveal themselves as the album progresses.

Flashes in songs like ‘EDM’ and ‘Optical Character Recognition’ sound like they’re straight out of a Black Flag single. Even drummer Henrik Holmlund’s background from ska bands makes its own indent into the tone of the album. It’s impossible to sit or stand still listening to this. Joy encompasses all these different backgrounds and uniquely crafts it to create their own sound.

Even though the album clocks in at under thirty minutes, so much rage and enthusiasm is packed into each individual second. It wastes no time at all in showing what kind of band Bitch Hawk is and what they’ve set out to do, cause mayhem. Matt Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine stated earlier in the year that Metal as a genre has become stale; Bitch Hawk is the antithesis of that statement, they are the proof that the heavy genre is still alive, kicking and roaring. If the past two albums are anything to go by, Bitch Hawk’s career is certainly one to watch for the future.

8.0/10

CHARLIE HILL