Album Review: GHLOW – 'Slash and Burn'

Anger is an energy; violence is a liberation.

Slash and Burn is the debut album from Swedish-Russian duo GHLOW. It follows 2017’s EP Crystal Memoriz, but with the intention of turning everything up to 11. With genre-defying influences such as Dead Kennedys, the Prodigy and Swedish acts Breach and Switchblade (post-hardcore and doom metal, respectively), you know this is not an album to put on whilst having a relaxing candle-lit bath. 

Blending Emille de Blanche’s vocals and bass with Nikolay Evdolimov’s guitars, synths and drum machines; Slash and Burn is a punk-electronic soundscape that often leans towards an industrial sound. It’s a harsh sounding record, as GHLOW wanted to capture their powerful live sets on record: “it’s a physical experience – in the early days, we blew a lot of sound systems because the loudness was so important to us.” GHLOW have achieved this is in a production that is ruthless throughout and the mix is violent, similarly to Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power album. The sheer volume and violence aren’t just done for the hell of it. Evdokimov insists that this approach and outcome of Slash and Burn is “a reset – something positive comes out of the flames.”

This is most obvious on ‘Take It’. The fuzzy electronics and guitars are aggressive, yet the melodic and catchy vocals offer a superb contrast that is hypnotic. Despite the eclectic mix of influences GHLOW namecheck, Slash and Burn isn’t a mixed back of random songs. For instance, ‘Mess with Me’ and ‘Sleep’ utilise Hip Hop style beats with 90s Alt Rock guitars. ‘Hollow’ is a great track too, which carries the same intense energy as Savages, particularly in the guitar riffs.

Ultimately, your ears may not be accustomed to GHLOW’s sound on first listen, but Slash and Burn is an album that gets better with repeated listens.

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst

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