Dutch metallic hardcore outfit Boneripper make no bones about the fact they are here for one reason only…to make your ears bleed. Formed from the ashes of bands including Manu Armata, 13Steps and Bladecrusher, they seem to have built a reputation on writing songs that hit you hard and fast and leave little room for you to catch your breath. Their latest offering, Radiant In Ruin, continues to target the listeners jaw…but between all the breakdowns and juggernaut riffs, there is some genuinely strong and memorable songwriting on show here.
Opening with Oracle of Lies, the album wastes no time setting a furious pace. There’s aggression spilling out of the chugging guitar riffs, there’s gang vocals, breakdowns that drop off a precipice before catapulting you back into the fray….it’s one hell of an opening! And it’s followed up with Deeds Define, a song that clearly reinforces the band’s central message: actions speak louder than words. First single Damnation is one of the album’s standout moments, pairing more of those perfectly executed gang vocals with a powerful critique of humanity’s self-destructive tendencies. Other firm favourites were Truth to Enemy and Violent Virtue which keep the momentum surging with razor-sharp riffs and enough hardcore swagger that they could rip your bones (…sorry, that was bad).
What makes Radiant In Ruin so enjoyable is that the songs are lean, direct and refreshingly free of unnecessary bullshittery. No song exceeds three-and-a-half minutes, the entire album is a rather tasty 29 minutes long, every chorus is purpose built to be bellowed back from the front row of a sweaty venue, and every breakdown lands exactly when it should. It’s hardcore with enough metallic bite to satisfy both camps without becoming bogged down in technical excess.
There’s even room for the occasional melody to sneak through the cracks, proving Boneripper know that a well-placed hook can be just as devastating as another chugging riff…I’m looking at you Borrowed Breath. Think of it as adding extra hot sauce to a buffalo chicken wing…you probably didn’t need it, but you’re very glad it’s there!
Radiant In Ruin is an album that is fierce, brutally focused and packed with conviction, it’s an album that grabs you by the collar and launches you into an incoming fist. And once you’ve found your feet, you’ll most likely be diving strauight into the pit for another round.
Best Paired with – a reliable belt and a pocket of metal objects.
Reviewed By Bryn.
Radiant In Ruin is out now.
Leave a Reply