This is the second album from UK hardcore band Geist.
Following on from 2019’s Swarming Season, Blueprints to Moderate Sedation provides us with 31 minutes of dark aggression. Combining punk, crust, and metal into an abrasive hardcore intensity, Geist have produced an enjoyable album of dark heaviness.
This is unforgiving music that’s relentlessly merciless. Geist specialise in forceful crust brutality, riffs that slither with dark malevolence, and ferocious groove. At times it seems one riff away from becoming totally unhinged, a feral assault that just wants to obliterate everything. At others the band are more controlled, directing their furious assault to key targets. The scathing anger of the music is only restrained by Geist’s ability to channel their rage and vitriol into actual songs. They do this well, and the result is a meaty dish of visceral savagery and crushing heaviness. And it tastes pretty damn good too.
Geist vary their pace across the album so that while uniformly dark and menacing, within that Blueprints to Moderate Sedation is well-written and flows well. Although not a melodic band, snatches of melody are used in places to enhance emotive impact. This happens across the album, no matter the music’s speed, but songs like Vessel of Nothing exemplify this with its engaging doom-laden approach.
Like their debut record I have enjoyed Blueprints to Moderate Sedation a great deal. Geist are adept at their chosen style, and these songs are punishing displays of heaviness that are easy to return to. Also, like all good music, the more you do visit it, the more you want to.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 