by David Wilikofsky
We’re all trapped inside our homes, waiting out a virus that likely won’t abate for months. Our national leadership is shockingly inept, suggesting we inject ourselves with bleach and household cleaners to fight it. The economy and job market here in the US are the worst they’ve been in years. The world is shitty right now, plain and simple, and I’m angry about it. It didn’t have to be this way. Luckily, Sial have released an album full of rage and bile for times just like this.
Sial hail from Singapore; their name roughly translates to “bastard” or “the damned” in English. The album starts with a moment of silence. The drums come in, lightly at first. Feedback starts to swirl as the drumming becomes more urgent. Without warning, the band explodes. “Abintara”, the lead track, is full of massive riffs and urgently screamed vocals. The album is unrelenting from this point forward, completely inundating the listener with riffs, reverb and shouted vocals.
Lyrically, I don’t know what Sial are singing about; press around the band indicates that their lyrics often deal with inequities and injustices caused by both the British colonization of Singapore and the capitalist system. Whether that is true or not, the urgency of the instrumentals and the vocal delivery indicate a deep rage and discontent with the state of the world. It conveys emotions that are completely universal. The album is only twenty minutes, which is the perfect length for music of this intensity. It leaves you wanting more without being overwhelmed. Seriously, this might be the best, most visceral record you hear this year.
Check it out and purchase from Bandcamp below.