"Vultures" is a one-sided 12" EP on white vinyl with a screenprinted B-side, and it's also my first exposure to Germany's Laura Mars (from Superfluous Records). Having been rightfully compared to Botch and Deadguy in the past, their overall sound does bear similarities to the form of "metalcore" more centered around discordant, angular chunks and lots of pull-off runs, though they don't really sound like either of those bands as a whole. There's definitely a hint more variety here in that there's also a really cool "screamo" angle happening, with lots of intense melodies scattered amidst raw, frenetic riffing—not to mention a multi-vocal attack that combines a few forms of shouting/screaming. The recording's crisp enough to be heavy but retains a good amount of acerbity for the looser riffs, and from what I can tell they've got a cool eye for D.I.Y. packaging as well. It seems these guys are admirably inspired by the 90's era of hardcore in general, as suggested by this statement regarding their lyrics posted on their MySpace page:
Yes, it is important to us that people read our lyrics and understand what they are about. What we have to offer lyric-wise is definitely far from enlightened and most probably of little relevance for you. And no, we are not one of these hippie-esque "I-want-to-share-my-feelings-with-you" bands... we are just five guys who are convinced that it still makes sense to address certain topics in song lyrics, although everybody in this modern hardcore crap tells you otherwise.
With just five songs in 14 minutes there's not a ton to go on, but you're left wanting more, and that's always a good sign. I like what I'm hearing/seeing/reading, and I'll be looking forward to more from Laura Mars for sure.
The 12" is limited to just 50 hand-numbered copies with a red screenprint and 450 with a blue screenprint, so get in touch with the label via the link below to see about getting your hands on one...
