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Unhallowed Ground

by system of hate

supported by
CYCO
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Blood4Bones
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nworb1961
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Makoto HARA
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gah12
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Terry Snailham
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Jason Tattum
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psepo
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oblivious1972
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ianindarkness
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Paul Nelson
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    There are two things that you really need to know. Firstly, ‘Unhallowed Ground’ is a magnificent debut album by Barnsleys very own, System of Hate.

    For anyone who has been watching this group develop since the early gigs in 2013, this is the album that we hoped they would make, but perhaps were unsure they could make. Sometimes a studio environment can stifle, rather than capture bands with a reputation for blistering live shows. No fear here though. Producer Matt Elliss has done a thoroughly superb job at the controls and brought out visceral performances from all concerned. This sounds absolutely huge.

    My first listen of this behemothic slab of dark punk provided the soundtrack to a terrifying late night car journey home down the M1 last week. My dashboard lit up like a disco and the car steering juddered, as I sweated and repeated a short prayer/mantra, “Just get me home, just get me home!” over the top of System of Hate. Perhaps not an ideal introduction to this album, but then again, they do like things dark, don’t they? Sadly, the car is no more. It expired. It has ceased to be. I don’t believe that there’s any connection between the two events though.

    The album opens with a beautiful, other worldly saxophone melody from guest musician, Andy Blower. I almost visualise an alien sun rising, giving light to a barren planet in a far off galaxy. Then suddenly everything, including the kitchen sink, is thrown at you at once, as System of Hate bludgeon you over the head with an intense riff and vocalist Suty growls ”Serpent Father, bless me, your cobra breath instills, lift my sad existence, give me strength to kill”. This is the opener “Rogue Apostle” and is a perfect introduction to the next 36 minutes and 44 seconds of your listening pleasure.

    SOH2

    An essential element to the System of Hate sound is the epic, melodic bass lines of Paddy O’Neill and there are plenty of them. He has an immediately recognisable style and the physical stature to back up such a big sound, as well as being one of the nicest, most genuine souls you could ever meet. Teamed with Carl Gullifords tribal drums, it is an awesome rhythm section. At times on this album, they play with a claustrophobic urgency that literally pins you to the wall. The drumming is just sublime. Don’t put this album on and then settle down with a good book. Background music this ain’t.

    “Sanatoria” begins with an 80’s keyboard sound that initially reminds me of Hall and Oates! I wasn’t expecting that, but it actually works. It really works and provides a brief, but welcome chink of light in the proceedings, before the lads kick in and reclaim the mood. When I saw keyboardist Martin Roberts debut gig as part of System of Hate, my jaw dropped. Not a regular event, I can assure you. However, this was what the overall System of Hate sound required to take it from brilliant to a compelling, live event with numerous possibilities.

    In addition to this, on the album, Andy Blowers post punk saxophone paints fresh melodic colours into songs like “Zealots Path” and recalls those urgent early 1980’s singles by Theatre of Hate and the Psychedelic Furs, who subscribed to David Bowie’s contention that the saxophone can be stripped of all its jazz connotations.

    Now, as good as the previous nine tracks are, they still do not adequately prepare you for the last song, “Unhallowed Ground”. At just over 7 minutes long, it is a tour de force of what can still be achieved within the confines of rock music, dark punk, whatever you want to call it. Opening with a Joy Division-esque majesty, driven by another Paddy bass line, it is almost 2 minutes before Suty enters the fray and if you’re not dancing by this point, you should check your pulse. Carls drums push and drive the whole song, with fantastic gutsy stabs and shards of guitar from Pat Crawford. Every single band member puts their heart and soul into this and it shows. Wow, most bands only dream of achieving a performance like this. This is music with ambition and conviction. Non of that apologetic, “it’s only little old us” bollocks.

    I tell yer, if Donald Trump gets the US Presidency and inflames and incites the world to turn in on itself and ‘The Button’ gets pressed, then I’d want to go out dancing to this song ! As the radiation blast tears the flesh from my bones, this is the sound I’d want as my ears melted. Yes, folks, this song really is that good. I can’t wait to hear it live again.

    Oh, the second thing you need to know ? – contact Pat Crawford for a copy. Do it. Today.

    Words by Steve Dalton. Alternative Barnsley

    Includes unlimited streaming of Unhallowed Ground via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
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1.
Rogue Apostle 03:50
lyrics
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Rogue Apostle Serpent Father bless me, Your cobra breath instills, Lift my sad existence, Give me strength to kill. Rogue Apostle, Free to roam at will, Rogue Apostle, Hell born again to kill. Crucibles of wonder, Burn before my eyes, I bathe in all your splendour, Shine O Lord of Flies. Prostrate all contrition, The Penitent shall rise, I kiss the Rogue Apostle, Rebirth is energized. I am now immortal, Free of earthly chains, Cower down before me, Feel perdition's flames.
2.
Kiss The World 03:19
lyrics
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Kiss the World (1916) The black mouth howitzer, Is silenced at last, We're free from the torment, And demonic blast. All is so still, As the sun burns the sky, Hell for a moment, Is free from our eyes. Expressionless faces, Climb over the top, Hell reawakens, I see bodies drop. Comrades I knew, Are just blown into hell, Gutshot and wounded, Baptised by shell. Wave after wave, Are cut down in their prime, Young hearts of courage, Have run out of time. All is so still, As the sun burns the sky, Hell for a moment, Is free from our eyes.
3.
Crucified 03:05
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Crucified Hanging like your favourite child, From a cross of pain, Falling through forgiving hands, mortal son of Cain. Every wound a nightmare, Every thorn a curse, Every lie redemption, Chapter, book and verse. Looking through the eyes of death, On a bed of sin, Blessed nails through sacred flesh, Tearing deep within. Every tomb repressing, Every womb a trial, Every hope diminished, Every scar a child. Grinning like a razor blade, The Jester plays a tune, A requiem for laughter lost, In this little room. Every note remembered, Every chord a scream, Every verse selected, Kills another dream.
4.
Antichrist 03:43
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Antichrist I am life, I am death, I am light's eternal breath. I'm the first, I'm the last, I'm the ghost of futures past. Antichrist, You Sacrifice. I'm the way, I'm the truth, Resurrection without proof. I'm belief, I am faith, Crucifixion's holy wraith. I'm the sword, I'm the shield, Revelation's Seventh Seal. I'm the fire, I'm the ice, All creation's Antichrist.
5.
Sanatoria 03:16
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Sanatoria Can you hear the cockroach, Calling through the wall? Can you feel the tension, Crawling down the hall? Every sterile colour, Pins you to the ground, The image through the window, Condemns without a sound. They laugh inside, Cry inside, They live inside, Die inside. Sanatoria, Sanatoria, Sanatoria. Cold electric humming, Of artificial light, Grieving like an insect, Every day and night. The captive congregation, Melt into the night, Swallowed by a SYSTEM, That steals away the light. Can you feel the anguish? Can you smell the fear? Do you sense the discord? Of everything that's here? Every twisted outrage, Mirrored in your soul, All temptation gathered, Before your final fall.
6.
Zealot's Path 03:22
lyrics
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Zealot's Path One voice a thousand lies, One book to idolize, One heart that never beats, One God that never bleeds. Three nails hammered in, One cross to purge our sin. Who is this Lamb of God? The path to truth where Zealots trod. Deliver us if you can, From the greed and lust of man. the light you guide us by, And we’ll believe before we die.
7.
Mutilation 02:03
lyrics
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Mutilation Insane, f*cked up, rotten to the core, Locked up, strapped down, sedated on the floor. I'm a well-honed predator, born to maim and kill, Showing no emotion, bereft of any guilt. I will flay your body, wear your skin with pride, Butcher you relentless, rip your carcass wide.
8.
Apostle Of Pain 04:05
lyrics
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Apostle of Pain Mantle OF thorn, tearing through flesh, Crushing the soul, poison on breath. Reality torn, nightmares unfurled, Violent unrest, destroying his world. Apostle of Pain, Disciple of the Nazarene. Flower of thought, perfume indeed, Caught in the throat, spitting disease. Judged on the cross, broken in blood, All that He's lost, torrent and flood.
9.
Killing Fields 02:54
lyrics
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Killing Fields Watch your children die, Fading to the grave, Harvesting the Killing Fields, Of grief and little faith. Your cup runneth over, Anger fills the void, Taking out the patriot, The weak and paranoid. Culture of a Nation, Kill it from within, Civilians are collateral, Revenge will always win. Scorn the sacrificed, Embrace the never born, Suicide salvation, Reap the bitter storm.
10.
Unhallowed Ground 07:02
lyrics
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Unhallowed Ground I fell to earth, With broken wings, Prepared the way, For the King of Kings. I blessed the whore, Of Babylon, And cursed the songs, Of Solomon. I tempted Christ, With taste of flesh, Forty days, In the wilderness. I took the key, Broke the seal, Released the damned, So I could feel. I am the HATE. The sound of war, Bringer of pain, On the killing floor. I am the voice, Inside your head, Unhallowed Ground, All fear to tread.

about

There are two things that you really need to know. Firstly, ‘Unhallowed Ground’ is a magnificent debut album by Barnsleys very own, System of Hate.

For anyone who has been watching this group develop since the early gigs in 2013, this is the album that we hoped they would make, but perhaps were unsure they could make. Sometimes a studio environment can stifle, rather than capture bands with a reputation for blistering live shows. No fear here though. Producer Matt Elliss has done a thoroughly superb job at the controls and brought out visceral performances from all concerned. This sounds absolutely huge.

My first listen of this behemothic slab of dark punk provided the soundtrack to a terrifying late night car journey home down the M1 last week. My dashboard lit up like a disco and the car steering juddered, as I sweated and repeated a short prayer/mantra, “Just get me home, just get me home!” over the top of System of Hate. Perhaps not an ideal introduction to this album, but then again, they do like things dark, don’t they? Sadly, the car is no more. It expired. It has ceased to be. I don’t believe that there’s any connection between the two events though.

The album opens with a beautiful, other worldly saxophone melody from guest musician, Andy Blower. I almost visualise an alien sun rising, giving light to a barren planet in a far off galaxy. Then suddenly everything, including the kitchen sink, is thrown at you at once, as System of Hate bludgeon you over the head with an intense riff and vocalist Suty growls ”Serpent Father, bless me, your cobra breath instills, lift my sad existence, give me strength to kill”. This is the opener “Rogue Apostle” and is a perfect introduction to the next 36 minutes and 44 seconds of your listening pleasure.

SOH2

An essential element to the System of Hate sound is the epic, melodic bass lines of Paddy O’Neill and there are plenty of them. He has an immediately recognisable style and the physical stature to back up such a big sound, as well as being one of the nicest, most genuine souls you could ever meet. Teamed with Carl Gullifords tribal drums, it is an awesome rhythm section. At times on this album, they play with a claustrophobic urgency that literally pins you to the wall. The drumming is just sublime. Don’t put this album on and then settle down with a good book. Background music this ain’t.

“Sanatoria” begins with an 80’s keyboard sound that initially reminds me of Hall and Oates! I wasn’t expecting that, but it actually works. It really works and provides a brief, but welcome chink of light in the proceedings, before the lads kick in and reclaim the mood. When I saw keyboardist Martin Roberts debut gig as part of System of Hate, my jaw dropped. Not a regular event, I can assure you. However, this was what the overall System of Hate sound required to take it from brilliant to a compelling, live event with numerous possibilities.

In addition to this, on the album, Andy Blowers post punk saxophone paints fresh melodic colours into songs like “Zealots Path” and recalls those urgent early 1980’s singles by Theatre of Hate and the Psychedelic Furs, who subscribed to David Bowie’s contention that the saxophone can be stripped of all its jazz connotations.

Now, as good as the previous nine tracks are, they still do not adequately prepare you for the last song, “Unhallowed Ground”. At just over 7 minutes long, it is a tour de force of what can still be achieved within the confines of rock music, dark punk, whatever you want to call it. Opening with a Joy Division-esque majesty, driven by another Paddy bass line, it is almost 2 minutes before Suty enters the fray and if you’re not dancing by this point, you should check your pulse. Carls drums push and drive the whole song, with fantastic gutsy stabs and shards of guitar from Pat Crawford. Every single band member puts their heart and soul into this and it shows. Wow, most bands only dream of achieving a performance like this. This is music with ambition and conviction. Non of that apologetic, “it’s only little old us” bollocks.

I tell yer, if Donald Trump gets the US Presidency and inflames and incites the world to turn in on itself and ‘The Button’ gets pressed, then I’d want to go out dancing to this song ! As the radiation blast tears the flesh from my bones, this is the sound I’d want as my ears melted. Yes, folks, this song really is that good. I can’t wait to hear it live again.

Oh, the second thing you need to know ? – contact Pat Crawford for a copy. Do it. Today.

Words by Steve Dalton. Alternative Barnsley

credits

released February 27, 2016

(c) system of hate

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system of hate Barnsley, UK

“It’s a great powerful Punk Rock take on the Killing Joke kind of thing. They've got the intensity, the feral power, the tribal drumming. Really great live, a fantastically intense show live and they are good players as well, a good tight band. Also, the songs show a little bit of imagination.”

John Robb (Louder Than War, Goldblade / The Membranes) said of System of Hate: ... more

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