CLEARxCUT - Age of Grief (LP)

CLEARxCUT are out there to spread the message of total liberation. (Former) members of Heaven Shall Burn, Implore, and King Apathy/Thranekind started this collective, because they are dedicated to the vegan straight edge (XVX) and want to confront listeners with inconvenient truths and todays harsh reality. The German band addresses their songs and convictions to all people who are prepared to stand up for a better, fairer future - but especially to all anarchists, anti-fascists, feminists, primitivists and indigenous peoples of the world. Or to put it brief: to all defenders of our earth.

The stylistic choice of means falls on metallic hardcore, which is rooted in a strong DIY ethic. Having released their first two albums For the Wild at Heart Kept in Cages (2019) and Songs of Desire Armed (2022) for Catalyst X Records (Gather, Nueva Ethica, Abnegation, Birthright, Maroon, Point of No Return, Forward to Eden), Age of Grief now marks CLEARxCUTs debut for Lifeforce Records. Started in the mid-1990ies as label with mainly vegan and straight edge bands, the German Label has an impressive history with XVX bands such as Arkangel, Day of Suffering, Rancor, Unconquered, Unborn, Fault or Deadlock. Being a collective who are outspoken in their message and keep the vegan straight edge banner high, CLEARxCUT continue this tradition.

Besides having switched their label, Age of Grief marks a fresh start for CLEARxCUT. After a big shift in their ranks, before the global pandemic hit, the band moved from two (female) vocalists to one (male) frontman. This is accompanied by a change of sound. On their third full lenghth album, the German band are diving into the realms of metallic hardcore, leaving behind their early hardcore punk influences. No one should be surprised by this move, as CLEARxCUT was conceived as a collective where members, names, or styles wouldn't matter, but one and only the final goal of spreading a positive message in defence of animal rights and sober living. Age of Grief, in this respect, is extremely consistent.

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Tracklist:

1. The Seventh Seal
2. Collecting Scars
3. Privilege
4. Burial Shroud
5. Putrefaction
6. Against Leviathan
7. Unwritten
8. Ghosts of the Past
9. The Eternal Demise