The Locust – The Locust (1997)

August 3, 2022

This is the first of two self-titled releases the band did. The first is called, technically I guess, just Locust rather than The Locust. As a historical listener, the most striking thing for me about this 7″ is how the band’s sound develops from the more rudimentary powerviolence approach of the 1996 splits into what we could consider the more recognisable Locust sound. Hydra-headed jackal-like vocal attacks punctuate intense stabs of grinding noise. Most importantly, a thick, tar-like layer of bubbling analogue synthesizer envelopes the whole thing in audible insectoid goo. Brilliant.