Unison Life

Brutus: a shining example of posthardcore creativity

HASSLE / SARGENT HOUSE

Belgium’s atmospheric post-hardcore sensations turn up the heat

BRUTUS EMERGED IN 2017 in a storm of shimmering shoegaze, raw punk and tightly controlled turbulence, and immediately carved out a thrilling niche for themselves.

The story goes that Lars Ulrich was so into their debut, Burst, that he invited the Belgian trio to come and hang out with him backstage at one of Metallica’s 2017 London shows. Thrice drummer Riley Breckenridge loved the band’s incandescent post-hardcore so much he booked them to support his band on the European leg of their 2018 tour.

By the time the band released their 2019 follow-up, Nest, Converge drummer Ben Koller, Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Dillinger’s Greg Puciato had all declared themselves fans. And for obvious reasons, too. Nest was built on already strong foundations, veering between claustrophobic walls of cataclysmic sound and expansive, cathedral-sized spaces to devastating effect. It was a contrast of extremes that the band have sensibly taken to even greater heights on their third studio album.

From the outset, Unison Life is the band’s most dynamic record to date, the chasm between their combustible tendencies and the more spacey, contemplative moments searing with white-hot energy. Miles Away kicks off the album with sinister keys, punctuated by crashing stabs of guitar, mushrooming moments later into Brave – apunk squall that’s pulled painfully taut, but could well collapse into abandon at any second. Holding it all together is drummer/ vocalist Stefanie Mannaerts, who does an admirable job of driving the album’s galloping pace while carrying its deceptively indelible melodies.