To bring together different styles in order to capture a different sound is something that we’ve seen hundreds of times across the history of metal, and it’s still something I get a lot of enjoyment out of to this day. It constantly keeps me guessing to just what exactly any band can bring to the table as the possibilities can often feel endless, and there are plenty of times where I’m caught off guard by what I’ve heard. Entering the upcoming work from Throwing Bricks, there wasn’t much to prepare me for what these guys could bring to the table.

With a band starting out as more of an act that found themselves within the realm of hardcore, you normally wouldn’t see them evolve into something that would play sludgy black metal. I wouldn’t, anyway. Throwing Bricks definitely made one hell of a transition from their original sound by the time they came to craft their debut album, but to say that they entirely left the world of hardcore behind would be to undermine the many different layers at play here throughout “What Will Be Lost”. We can very much hear the hardcore influence on the underlying elements of the style with sludge and black metal elements taking the forefront of what this whole album brings forth, and it delivers in every way. We can be treated to something that can touch your heart with the slightly dissonant chords that Throwing Bricks displays in only a few select moments to only then throw us back into the real meat of “What Will Be Lost” with an unyielding presence and an unrelenting attitude that permeates every second of the debut. It’s brought together with the idea to elicit raw emotions while still having a foreboding form that is nothing to scoff at as Throwing Bricks has many different faces, and they know how to use each one in different circumstances to their maximum potential. Pair that with undeniable musicianship, and “What Will Be Lost” quickly becomes a record that’s just as passionate as it is intriguing.

Combining sludge and black metal into some odd amalgamation is nothing new for the world of metal, but it’s a style we simply don’t get to see a lot and it goes without saying for me that Throwing Bricks has done wonders for the sound with just this album. “What Will Be Lost” foretells of much more interesting material to come out of this band’s future, and I couldn’t think of a better stepping point than with this record.

“What Will Be Lost” releases on May 15th via Tartarus Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “What Will Be Lost” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Throwing Bricks on Facebook here.