(Tenzenmen/Fuse)

Brutal return for Brisbane trio 

Many shed a tear when cathartic noise rock outfit Scul Hazzards departed our shores for London around two years ago. But now they’re back, and they’ve brought a fine second LP with them (with some badass cover art). You can’t go wrong with an opening track called Slaughtered Pigs, launching straight into a pummelling riff and aggressive drumming from Leigh Fischer. The descending post-punk grind of Casualties matches up effectively with Steven Smith’s vocals and What They Need has a surprisingly poppy structure buried beneath the jerky, buzzsaw riff. Criminals feels relentlessly dense despite its sparse math-rock construction. Tiffany Milne’s bass chugs powerfully as Landlord’s spiky backbone. Closing track Killing Floor Blues sees the rhythm section as the platform for a swirling maelstrom of guitar noise. Landlord makes for a raw, purposeful and destructive record. Scul Hazzards left Brisbane a great band, but they’ve returned an even better one.

MICHAEL PINCOTT

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