When you see that an album is produced by Kurt Ballou and released on Southern Lord, you sort of know what you’re getting yourself into: it will be brief, brash and brutal. For Sect, brevity is key; with 10 tracks coming in at under 17 minutes, No Cure… is a discordant barrage of aural abuse, full of vigour and swagger, yet dripping with gob and a bitter attitude. Drawing from grind, crust and hardcore, the punishment is relentless, with the tempo changes feeling like being stabbed then slowly dragging the blade out again. Drummer Andy Hurley (yes, the guy from Fall Out Boy, but don’t judge) deserves a medal for his destructive display, powering the music into absolute headfuck territory, leading a Hatebreedesque bounce that leaves you on your knees. Only the final track, Avoidance Ritual, shows some semblance of conformity, but while the record isn’t as avantgarde as Code Orange, there is kinship in Sect’s desire to cause harm, leaving you in a quivering ball on the floor.
Sect - No Cure For Death album review
Kurt Ballou-produced brutalists gleefully twist the knife
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