Larry LeadfootHellxotica

Melbourne metal collective Larry Leadfoot introduced themselves impressively on their first EP Hellxotica.

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Opener Leviathan is a punishing miasma of industrial beats, bottom-feeding sludge riffery and caustic vocals dragged up from the depths, Disincarnate (War Planet) is a downward spiralling soundscape of steady, foreboding drums and dark distorted vocal sounds descending into electronica.

Within the space of two tracks, Larry Leadfoot has gone off into several wildly different directions, but not without a sense of purpose. Each subsequent song sees the band exploring industrially-tinged metal extremity in various ways—the portentous intro of Psychological Warfare builds toward chugging Meshuggah-style repetition into a track that sounds exactly as its title suggests On S.W.A.B, they lean into a heavy percussive assault with haunting melodic undercurrents and vocals that turn from ominous growling to vomitous grunts.

Hellxotica is a band experimenting with violence and chaos and coming up with something that is heavy, taut, jarring and really very cool.

Finally, Larry Leadfoot take all their lessons and teachings and hurl them at the wall in the final and title track, a swirling, dissonant maelstrom of clattering drums, demonic vocals, sludge guitar and industrialised mayhem. Hellxotica is a band experimenting with violence and chaos and coming up with something that is heavy, taut, jarring and really very cool. 

STANDOUT TRACKS: Leviathan, S.W.A.B., Hellxotica
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Strapping Young Lad, Prong, Pitchshifter