Bone Awl/The Rita - Split

'Bone Awl/The Rita'

Bone Awl/The Rita

2006

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Blackened Noise, Raw Black Metal, Harsh Noise, Harsh Noise Wall

For Fans Of: Sump, Raspberry Bulbs, Sexdrome, Vomir, Werewolf Jerusalem

HNW meets deliciously blown out raw black metal in this collaboration of sorts. As most of you are aware, Bone Awl are a two man  band who've been terrorizing ear drums with their raw noise-punk tinged black metal since the early 2000s and The Rita is the one man HNW project of Canadian noisemonger, Sam McKinlay (who's been going at it since 1996).
Unlike most splits, that confine each artist to a separate side, this cassette has The Rita and Bone Awl taking turns, which actually leads to some really nifty tie-ins and transitions between each track. The Rita's contribution to this split are slightly more dynamic than some of his other works, with subtle changes and peaks that help distinguish tracks from one another, but make no mistake, it's the same rumble-y, crunchy dense walls of sound you know and love. Bone Awl have taken a similar bass heavy approach with their tracks, and pretty much thrown any notion of distinguishable instrumentation  or songwriting out the window, leaving you instead with the noisiest possible interpretation of black metal where only the occasional vocals and pulverizing, Neanderthal like drums are clearly audible.
The way this split comes together is a big reason why I enjoy it, the flow between each artist is so natural that at times I have a hard time figuring out exactly who is playing. The thick walls of bass and static have this walloping ebb and flow feel to them, and it kinda just wafts in and out of your head, all while beating your poor ears bloody and blue. Gnarly split, gnarly bands and just gnarly in general. Geddonit.

TRACKLISTING:
1. The Rita - Untitled
2. Bone Awl - I Feel Tension
3. The Rita - Untitled
4. Bone Awl - Black Beasts
5. The Rita - Untitled
6. Bone Awl - With My Hands
7. The Rita - Untitled
8. Bone Awl - You're Getting More
9. The Rita - Untitled
10. Bone Awl - What Are You Waiting For?
11. The Rita - Untitled

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