Ark Of The Covenant demo/7"

I already posted an uncharacteristically gushing review of this Welsh bands demo on a couple of message board. For readers who don’t frequent the same online hives of scum and villainy as I, here’s an amended version of that post. I believe these recordings are now actually being released as a 7” rather than a demo, normally i frown on that kinda jumped up bullshit move, but in AOTC’s case i make an exception as this is too good to languish on a tatty CDR.

I’m not one to deal in hyperbole nor do i subscribe to the "yeah but they are good dudes/sympathy mosh" school of thought, so when i say that the demo by the aforementioned metallic hardcore outfit Ark Of the Covenant is "the shit" you should know that i'm not yanking your plank. Drawing very obvious influence from the sounds of early Arkangel and Day Of Sufferings “Eternal Jihad” album, this is total metallic hardcore fanboys wet dream. From the crisp production through to the cheese-dick spoken word section, every detail/cliche is correct and executed with a precision and vengeance that only comes from players with a genuine scholars enthusiasm for their chosen style. I hope that when i see this band play live, the guitar player is wielding a black jackson guitar and there are two stripy t shirts, some "curtains" hairstyles, at least one pair of canvas Airwalks and a demo with a played out Gustave Dore illustration on the front.

Likewise, in two years time i hope that the band will have turned their back on the principles that once defined them, started peddling drugs/knocking their girlfriends about and begin wearing Lacoste tracky tops and tight fitting caps in an effort to look like they've "moved beyond the narrow minded constraints hardcore". I don’t have any artwork for this record so instead here’s a picture of my favourite Welshman and one of the forgotten fathers of occult fiction and decadent horror, Arthur Machen.