Ready for your vaccine?

Recently, Galway’s sludged-out, down-tempo hardcore band Trenches released their new split LP with Drainland, who offered up three new tracks of their brand of dissonant hardcore. However, it’s in Trenches’ one track, the 14-minute long, ‘Vaccine’ that steals the show. The band released their debut self-titled EP last year, and across its five tracks it revealed one of the most interesting bands to really emerge from this country in the last year or two.

Tracks like ‘Carrier’ and ‘Inferiority Fetish’ are sublime listens so needless to say I was waiting anxiously to hear more, especially after first catching them live late last year; the dreary sound is even more palpable in a live setting and finally, the LP has arrived and ‘Vaccine’ is just stunning.

The three guitar assault creates such a thick, imposing wall of harrowing sound and Kieran Griffin’s vocals just sound so pained and most importantly, blunt and candid, really exuding a dank and cold vibe. The band also features Bacchus guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Lynch, who delivers his equally scathing vocals too. Every so often in ‘Vaccine’ his vocals enter to combat Griffin’s and the dual vocals are pulled off superbly.

What Trenches do best though is create atmosphere – dejected atmosphere that you will become completely immersed in. At the six minute mark, the slow trudging barrage hits its one real moment of pace where everything is plunged into a reckless maelstrom, characterised by some brisk lead guitars. All then descends into more lethargic passages to close out.

The progress made from the EP to this sole track is incredible, and only leaves me wondering what will happen next. I sincerely hope that this band is planning on releasing a full-length album, or even just another EP, in the not too distant and misty future; next year if at all possible.

Listen to a sample of ‘Vaccine’ HERE.
Pick up a copy of the LP HERE, or in Into The Void Records.