PRISTINA WEATHER THE DROUGHT ON CRUSHING DEBUT ALBUM

While I can’t necessarily attest to Pristina’s claim that their home state of Connecticut is the 5th circle of hell, I can say with certainly that it’s a really fucking weird place. I imagine that Connecticut is one of those states of which most Americans aren’t quite sure of its exact location other than “somewhere in the Northeast,” much the same way us Northeasterners look at a state like Indiana and think “somewhere in the midwest” but we couldn’t tell you which states it borders. Connecticut’s biggest cities are such non-descript gems as Hartford, Danbury, and New Haven. Where now? Exactly my point.

But from amidst all the non-descriptness and ambiguity of The Constitution State comes Pristina, a band we profiled back in August who have their own distinctive sound. Pristina do owe a nod to their homestate brethren in Hatebreed, but their mix of hardcore brawn and metal brutality weighs in on the far, far heavier side than Connecticut’s most famous metal export. On tracks like “Because I Can Kill You v.2” and “Saltwater Cthulhu” from their brand new record The Drought (ov Salt and Sorrow), Pristina approach Portal-like levels of snarled low-end, churning noise and unequivocal heaviness, while tracks like the psychedelic “Temple of the Morning Star” and the long-form progressive title track — complete with mid-section drum solo — show their more experimental side, proving that the band is capable of more than just raw power and brute force.

The Drought (Ov Salt and Sorrow) dropped this past Tuesday, September 28th on Trendkill Recordings. Order it here.

-VN