Bask is an experience. HSY flesh out an engrossing alternate reality through guttural, sludgy, industrial post-punk that latches onto you, possesses you and pulls you down while it thrashes, grunts and growls like a rabid beast. The intro is a good lead- in to the scenes about to play out. A foreboding alarm grows nearer, more abrasive and urgent. This tactile sense of atmosphere is key throughout, as elements projected from different distances create a metallic, thrashing-in-a-warehouse live feel.
Driving tracks, like “Cyber Bully,” “Sally” and “Acid Peel,” make up the bulk of the album; “Slush Puppies” slinks, “Dr DETH” foams at the mouth and jerky bass and tinny beats make “Feeder” addictive. The other breed of tracks on Bask leaves you wading through wonky, droning beats beneath…
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…the rantings of deranged man. “Valour,” for example, instils fear through raspy breathing and a Skinny Puppy vibe.
HSY revels in their filthy sound. They aren’t trying to get you to like them; rather, Bask burrows inside your head like some brain-hungry parasite bent on your demise. It’s an experimental take on heavy (hardcore, noise, metal, industrial and post-punk) pulled off with a sinister sort of panache. It’s uncompromisingly unsettling in a way that’s utterly compelling.