Black Tusk were one of my highlights from this past SXSW. I rarely “Tweet” at shows — because I’m too busy watching the shows — but this time I grabbed the phone and spewed: “Black Tusk, wow: Fenriz in Kylesa-as-macho-power-trio.” And later, recollected in tranquility:

Live the trio makes great use of three very different voices (old-school thrash, death, phased) in an attack that sounded like a more macho Kylesa and looked very much like Fenriz and Kerry King teaming up for some southern whoop-ass.

The sludgy punk and thrashed-out Savannah group maintain the ferocity and shout-along choruses on their second album Taste The Sin, their first for Relapse. (Speaking of Savannah, note the gorgeous album art by Baroness artist-in-residence John Baizley. Also speaking of Savannah — yeah, Kylesa.) The collection is best experienced from “Embrace The Madness” through “Toe Fry,” so please do just that. These guys don’t fuck around — you get 11 songs in under 40 minutes — so it won’t take up too much of your day. Unless you keep pressing repeat.

• Black Tusk – “Embrace The Madness” 

• Black Tusk – “Snake Charmer” 

• Black Tusk – “Red Eyes” 

• Black Tusk – “Way Of Horse And Bow” 

• Black Tusk – “Unleash The Wrath” 

• Black Tusk – “Twist The Knife” 

• Black Tusk – “Redline” 

• Black Tusk – “Takeoff” 

• Black Tusk – “The Ride” 

• Black Tusk – “The Crash” 

• Black Tusk – “Toe Fry” 

Taste The Sin is out 5/25 via Relapse.