I’m not going to pretend to know much about Street Sects or their Gentrification serial album, but what I do know is that Gentrification III: Death and Displacement (The Flenser) is six minutes of fire breathing intensity and disjointed electronic sounds. In other words, I fucking love it. What I’m not entirely sure of is why the entire Gentrification movement isn’t available as one solid release?

I mean I totally get that they put out Gentrification I: The Morning After the Night We Raped Death and Gentrification II: Broken Windows, Sunken Ceilings before signing with The Flenser and dropping End Position and The Kicking Mule. Understood and those latter two albums likely slay in their own right, but the vitriol and urgency displayed on Gentrification III was the kick in the pants I needed on this dreary Monday. Level with me here, man, I’ve been off caffeine for over a year, so I have to get that extra push from other avenues.

Just the tension and buildup in the opening seconds of ‘Boxcars’ is enough to get to the edge of the knife where I need to be. For some, it may not end on a satisfying note or payoff, but that pounding artificial beat and jagged vocals really kickstart the heart. And we haven’t addressed the opener in ‘Goodbye Recidivist Road’ which kicks things off like Pretty Hate Machine era Nine Inch Nails and builds up to something a bit uglier and more sinister.

So yeah, Street Sects, no rush, but if we can get all of Gentrification on one piece of vinyl, that would be swell. Take your time.

8 / 10

HANS LOPEZ