BRAT

Louisiana is home to a distinct kind of metal that bridges the rawness of eighties hardcore with the burly heft and intensity of death, grind and doom. Bands as varied but somehow noticeably connected stylistically like EXHORDER, CROWBAR, SOILENT GREEN, EYEHATEGOD, ACID BATH and the lesser known but utterly awesome GRAVEYARD RODEO come to mind.

There's a new kid on the block who has been making a name for itself by virtue of its relentless touring and pair of EP's, 2021's "Mean is What we Aim For" and 2022's "Grime Boss". BRAT encompasses the defining qualities of Louisiana metal, to be sure, and it's clear that they're walking their own distinctively unique path. With its debut full-length, "Social Grace", BRAT continues to challenge norms and expectations with a punishing 10 song collection that's as catchy as it is savage.

The New Orleans bruisers' rise isn't without merit. In addition to their impressive recordings, they have proven themselves as absolute road dogs, engaging in extensive touring alongside grind contemporaries like ACxDC, NO/MAS and ESCUELA GRIND as well as with notable extreme music veterans like CRO-MAGS and EYEHATEGOD.

"Social Grace" was recorded in batches over 18 months, yet nothing sounds disjointed. The 10 songs on-hand are refined and quite polished compared to their past lo-fi EPs without betraying their free-flowing, punk rock approach. The meticulous attention to detail and multifaceted approach isn't exactly on par with CEPHALIC CARNAGE, but the Denver maniacs come to mind because there's a shared mindset of throwing caution to the wind. The album's closing title track, for instance, kicks off with a frantic death metal riff that leads toward a potent breakdown that will surely demand grimacing faces and mosh pit insanity. And all of that's before, a dramatic snail-paced, groove and death march that will have fists pumping. But the nuances and quirky flourishes within that basic structure take the band to another level.

BRAT's affinity for power violence permeates the entire release, as that genre's standard gear shifting between high octane blasting regularly trades off with snail-paced misery. The difference, however, is that their down-tempo sections are inclined toward modern metallic hardcore breakdowns. Opener "Ego Death" explodes with death grinding belligerence following an infectious riff that's undoubtably going to prompt heads to involuntarily nod and bang.

The foursome is abundant with dichotomies and dualities, the most obvious of which is their injection of bubblegum pop music samples at the beginning of their violent songs when they perform live. The quartet plays along to these snippets prior to unleashing their confrontational deathgrind and hardcore madness. Sure, it's playful on the surface, but the act's self-anointed "barbiegrind / bimboviolence" is intended to ruffle the feathers of grind purists and knucklehead bigots. It's more than just being contrarian, though. BRAT wants its music to be inclusive.

Class warfare and anti-establishment ideas drive a bulk of "Social Grace"'s lyrical backbone, yet they do paint outside of those lines. The band members' appreciation of psychological horror fiction and Stephen King shine through songs like "Hesitation Wound" and "Truncheon", the latter of which highlights the ferocity of Liz Selfish's scathing growls. The driving force behind BRAT, however, seems to be guitarist Brenner Moate whose riffs are just as ugly as they are unlikely to be forgotten. Selfish and Moate's contribution, while focused and purposeful, is chaotic and unhinged in the way that grind is supposed to be, while bassist Ian Hennessey and drummer Dustin Eagan formidably and appropriately pin everything down in the way that a rhythm section should.

The running time for "Social Grace" is roughly 20 minutes. It's succinct and void of unnecessary fat. One isn't likely to feel as though it's too brief because the subtle complexity is plentiful and desirably delivered in a way that's digestible and comprehensible. BRAT may rub some folks the wrong way, but no one can deny how good "Social Grace" is musically.