[REVIEW] PRAETORIAN - A Deluge of Bad Faith EP [2022] Self Released

UK Sludge/Hardcore bastards Praetorian like to do things in small doses. An EP here, a single release there. 'A Deluge of Bad Faith' is the bands fifth offering and their first post-pandemic, and dishes out three tracks of snarling misanthropy and degradation.

Needless to say this is a nasty little piece of work from start to finish. A well performed and written slab of filthy Sludge doom spliced with the out right nastiness and grittiness of underground Hardcore. The dual vocal attack of ravenous throat searing screams and darker growling are somewhat reminiscent of Raging Speedhorn on meth, whilst the drums have a thick and meaty tone to them throughout. Obviously, you can't have Sludge without a great deal of bass and the constant punishing rumble from this EP is testament to that. As for the riffs, well the band themselves sum those up neatly in calling them dreg sodden! Down tuned, crushing savagery and when combined with the bass play the effects are pure carnage! 'A Deluge of Bad Faith' is a solid EP from start to finish but if I had to choose a favourite track I'd plump for the final one, 'Ode to A Drunk Driver' which sees Praetorian at their most vitriolic, and yet it's their most expansive song in terms of guitar leads, melodies and of course brutality. (Luke Hayhurst)

Click HERE to listen to this nastiness!