In an age when nothing's shocking, Friendship have managed to come off as utterly extreme and terrifyingly vile. With an amalgam of grind, hardcore and death-metal influences, the Japanese crew's sound is nothing short of hatred incarnate — bringing to mind bands like middle-period Converge, Full of Hell, Insect Warfare, Nails, Crossed Out and others.
Friendship's second and latest full-length is Undercurrent — a 10-track galloping bronco of a record that grips your throat and doesn't let go for the duration of its 20-plus minute run-time. After a menacing ambient intro, "Demise," the band lets loose with the roaring "Vertigo," which features a Ben Koller–like rolling drum fill that leads straight into the brutality. From there the crew cycles through several styles and approaches, keeping it all interesting and unrelenting for the duration.
Undercurrent is due via Southern Lord on June 14th, but you can listen to the entire album below.
