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.
