Covenant of the Cosmos - New Reviews:
The Quietus (Sept 2016)
Social commentary is in abundance on the second, sadly posthumous, album by Scottish metallic hardcore conceptualists The Process: The Covenant Of The Cosmos (Superfi / At War With False Noise) talks of war, global warming and overpopulation during its eleven immersively heavy songs. Its chosen issues are never used as a cudgel, though, rather as fuel for a lyrical worldview that originates in the theology of The Process Church Of The Final Judgement. Accordingly, considerable weight is placed on the notion of humanity leaving behind a dying Earth, either via space travel (as endorsed on ‘Alternative Three’) or a still more nebulous ascension to a higher plane (‘Ceaseless Burning Desires’).
All this being crypto-Scientological poppycock, I have my doubts that The Process – whose five members have been in a wide array of other bands, all far more spiritually bereft – were ever true adherents to this credo. They were damn good at talking the talk, though: I remember seeing them supporting Iron Lung about a decade ago, where vocalist Gav Brown introduced every song with nailed-on swivel-eyed cult preacher patter. As they write on the back of The Covenant, “Where allegory ends and verity commences is a question The Process have long considered.”
Alternatively, if you don’t feel up to sifting through the dense array of imagery, you can merely get down to some legit ragers by one of the UK’s more inventive 21st century hardcore bands. The influence of Cleveland’s Integrity and the Holy Terror movement they coined (itself inspired somewhat by the Process Church) was always fairly apparent, especially on The Process’ 2007 debut LP Rosenkreutz – but here melodies are permitted to breathe, structures and song lengths going beyond hardcore orthodoxy. The title track, for example, resembles epic doom metal as much as anything; ‘Occultation’ is burly post rock with twinkly synth parts and samples from the 1970s mockumentary Alternative 3. Equally, in the vicious hardcore stakes The Process are more lethal than ever. ‘The Vastness Of Mana’ features death metal vocals from Brown and some fast as fuck instrumental parts that could have been ripped from any number of militantly masculine metalcore muggers from late-90s mainland Europe. The Covenant Of The Cosmos is an unnervingly literate album with the power to satisfy base, brutish musical desires.
Cadavergarden (June 2016)
Mixing together hardcore, grind and what can only be described as cosmic atmosphere is The Process trailing along with them as they burst from a dying star is their newest release titled The Covenant of the Cosmos. This release is filled with eleven songs that are ripping and utterly destructive and yet they find a way to make you feel as though you’ve been lost among the stars. Most of the songs make you feel as though you have been swallowed up in the aftermath of a supernova, but when that subsides and when The Process so chooses you get to be submitted to some mind warping cosmic atmosphere.
This release not only gets stuck in your head but it also caves it in with the best as you get subjected to heavy and hard hitting hardcore that is in your face for the entire listen. The Covenant of the Cosmos is one solid song after the next and each song really does provide you with something new and different. Never does one song sound similar to the ones that came before it, and with that The Process gives you plenty of variety and plenty to listen for and soak in.
Throughout The Covenant of the Cosmos, The Process keeps you intrigued and keeps you listening for the entirety of the album. As one song turns to the next you can’t seem to press pause or take a break. Unlike most hardcore that is unruly and completely spastic, The Process brings something different to the table. They bring controlled chaos and bring a tight and crisp sound to you that still will make you headbang and feverishly thrash around even if the sound is a bit more refined.
As mentioned, you never really know what sound you will be getting next with The Process. The ethos of this band is hardcore of course, but mixed in with that are elements of ambiance and slower tempos that ultimately create a melodious sound. The majority of the songs that are present on this record give you both the headbanging, brain damaging and neck snapping variety as well as a more melodious sound that takes you cruising through the cosmos.
Each song that is present on this record is filled with sharp riffs, punishing drums, heavy bass lines, and vocals that are straining and throat tearing. The heavy musicianship is mixed together with celestial sounds as well at times to create a dark and mystic atmosphere. No matter what sound you get while listening to this release, you get something that is all together comprehensive, cohesive, sharp and heavy. The Process created a hardcore album that is interesting and a very unique album that warrants more than a few listens.
Extreme Underground Music Zine (June 2016)
The Process are a band from Scotland that plays a very brutal and metallic form of hardcore and this is a review of their 2016 album "The Covenant Of the Cosmos" which will be released in July as a joint effort between At War With False Noise and SuperFi.
A very hard and melodic sound starts off the album along with some drums kicking in a few seconds later which also leads up to a heavier direction along with some electronic music sounds being used briefly in the background and all of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them.
When guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very dark yet melodic style and the vocals are also done in a very aggressive hardcore screaming style and spoken word parts can also be heard at times and you can also hear punk and extreme metal influences in the bands musical style.
A couple of the tracks also brings in a brief use of death metal growls and some tracks also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with a brief use of blast beats and one of the tracks also brings in a brief use of synths and as the album progresses acoustic guitars can also be heard in certain sections of the recording while the main focus remains more on a heavy and aggressive style of hardcore and the last track is very long and epic in length.
The Process plays a style of hardcore that is very heavily influenced by extreme metal while also having its melodic moments, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Occultism, Hermetic, Rosicrucrian, Freemason and Illuminati themes.
In my opinion The Process are a very great sounding brutal and metallic hardcore band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Ceaseless Burning Desires" "Covenant Of The Cosmos" "V.I.T.R.I.O.L" and "Ouroboros". 8 out of 10.
At War With False Noise (2016)
Another long-gestating LP here, and - as with most long-gestating LPs - it's an absolute belter! The Process are made up of several veterans of Scotlands hardcore and punk scenes, but this record isnae a document of what some guys did in the other bands before so I'll leave you to check that out for yourself. Here, the music speaks for itself!
"The Covenant Of The Cosmos" is the band's final testament having split up some time ago, and has a tone of finality about it: a kinda hardcore gnostic death-toll. It's a dense record, musically and thematically: lyrics deal with esoteric theology, cosmology, and Masonic symbology (I think....reading the lyrics results in a lot of further reading!); whilst the production is thick, textured and full.
The record definitely benefits from repeated listens; I've been with it since pre-production and still finding bits here and there even now. It's a multi-faceted and densely-layered record: you can tell the band have their roots in metal (there are a few great wee proper metal guitar licks going on, as well as the odd death grunt and break straight out of Sunlight Studios '91) as much as hardcore. There are grindcore blasts coming from the same place that 30 seconds before was a cosmic lull, and relentlessly harsh vocals make way for an ethereal girl's voice.
I'm really chuffed with this one. I've loved most of what these guys have come out with both as The Process and in previous bands, and they know the score on how things should be done! Their vision has been realised entirely due to their (and Kunal's!) dedication, persistance, and singularity of artistic vision, and I'd like to think that's pretty evident holding this in your hands and giving it a listen from start to finish.
275 copies, smart reverse board-printed sleeve with insert and download code, in a stickered PVC sleeve.
Superfi Records (2016)
Invoking the spirit of early Ringworm and Integrity, The Process reduce all to ash with a deadly mixture of speed, metallic brutality and induced mosh-mayhem, this is the posthumous album from Scotland's purveyors of Illuminati influenced holy terror. Features ex-members of Shank, Scatha and In Decades Decline.
Rosenkreutz" is the long-awaited full-length debut from abstruse UK hardcore act The Process, released by Violent Change..The Process features members of Shank, Scatha, Atomgevitter, In
Decades Decline, and King Generator churning out a varied yet cohesive
brand of metallic hardcore/punk that ranges from driving midpaced power
chords and breakdowns to traditional-sounding old school hardcore given a
furious overhaul to borderline grinding blasts – all fronted by harsh,
relentless, full-on yelling and delivered with with an efficiently raw
recording that keeps things sounding dirty and textured without lacking
any clarity or balance. Nine-minute closer "Thee Chymical Wedding ov
Thee Process (The Process of the Chemical Wedding)" even accentuates
some of the slower, sludgier aspects of their approach subtly hinted at
elsewhere, utilizing some droning feedback, spoken passages, and even
trombone and piano, which – shockingly enough – actually fit, making for
a pretty epic build-up with loads of layering that all caves into a
brief experimental noise outro. When all is said and done (on a merely
superficial level, that is), it's nine tracks, 36 minutes, in your face,
short but sweet. This is definitely the strongest material I've heard
from The Process to date, and seeing as they're a rather curious unit,
I'll certainly be interested to see where they go next…
ORGAN MAGAZINE: ALBUM OF THE WEEK 2
THE PROCESS - Rosenkreutz (Violent Change):Now before we get in to the body of this here review thing once more, let us just mention in passing, kind of parish notice manner, these Violent Change people - whoever they are, they've certainly been throwing out some impressive punk rock goodness in recent weeks, looks like we've got a good new proper bulshit-free old school hardcore label in our hands here, nice one. Right, that bit out of the way, review time.
What have we got here then? Raging proper thrashing hardcore violence delivered with a certain amount of depth and rewarding intelligent challenging substance. Base metal thrash and crash, seriously heavy brutal hardcore from a bunch of people who've done recent time in various UK hardcore outfits (Shank, Scatha, In Decades Decline, Atomgevitter, King Generator...) so, in their own words, they've seen hardcore for what it is in 2008 and intend to put some wrongs right. Intense relentless hardcore - confrontational, ready to go toe to toe with anyone... Hang on though, there's a little more here. Actually there's a lot more here, especially in that final nine minute epic of a track called Thee Chemical Wedding Ov The Process with those classic gates of hell or earth or some place similar opening up Celtic Frost-like - and those dark foreboding trombones going to megatherion... That's the end of things though, before we get there they have some brutally raw and jagged attacks to lay down along with their storehouses and things located in the interiors of the earth. Intelligent hardcore and who are the Rosicrucians and... The Process have dropped a rather impressive debut album here, something that operates on a number of levels; brutal scathing thrashing hardcore metal violence that demands you scratch a little bellow the surface and explore the thought and the depth. An album that marries classic Celtic Frost and classic English hardcore punk rock and then throws in something a little extra that demands a little more. Highly recommended - www.myspace.com/theeprocess or www.myspace.com/violentchange
And if you're considering buying the album then the band hint that you might like to get it direct from www.outofstep.co.uk rather than one of them faceless high street chains, keep the profit in house as it were...
http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/neworgan280.htm
COLLECTIVE ZINE:
This excellent collection of songs culled from various demos and a 7" makes you sad that the band can't get together enough to write more songs more often. Formed from the ashes of such Scottish hardcore luminaries as Shank, Scatha and In Decades Decline, The Process go down the Cleveland style of hardcore (or so I'm told) route and jam some straight up power fucking violent hardcore action in there too. It's the very epitome of tough hardcore that isn't boneheaded in the slightest. It's also surprisingly catchy, maybe in part due to the simplicity, but mainly down to the great songwriting that means you have riffs you can positively take a bite out of, all diminished fifths and speedy runs. Nae messin'
www.collective zine.co.uk
CARRY THE WEIGHT RECORDS:
The Process are a UK metallic hardcore band. From the spoken part at the end of their song it sounds like they’re actually from somewhere in Scotland. Hadn’t heard them before this but I was impressed. Not as fast as RIH but channeling the same spirit. They’ve got a full length out now called Rosenkreutz, but it’s only on CD for the time being, vinyl to follow. I can wait…
This 7″ released by Feast Of Tentacles and limited to 500.
carryttheweight
THE FOLLOWING REVIEWS ARE CRUDELY TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE PUNK AND DESTROY WEBSITE:
The PROCESS-et in arcadia ego LP
Osaka giant grinder alcohol bomb! By the help of FORTITUDE, just the other day, veteran set UKHC just played the first visit to Japan, the PROCESS! Was created in 2006, this is probably 1st album, and Japanese title, commentary, is a special Japan Tour Edition, such as is with a band that was written tour dates! Analogy if, in TRAGEDY to dynamic, and the black based on the pathos Driving Dark slash to sprint while exudes the HC, and cold with anger explosion of Dosun and heavy part that leads also to Atari NEUROSIS, sometimes contrast of the static and the same from the clearly expressed, expected veteran, indeed ex-Oi Polloi, Scatha, members such as Shank enrolled, dark Unholy crust brings on a sense that does not go in the tricky HC! All five songs!
The PROCESS / ROT IN HELL split 7 "ep
Here, the 2009 release, the Process latest! Also coupling of the Rot in hell of the UK. the Process is, somber while introducing in the heavy doom type dark crust sound, and give them relief to the music in the hardcore of speedy, enhancement can of! Rot in hell also, EU answers of Toka Dystopia, to those around against! And he said of the feeling, dark and cold dark sorrow hardcore. Korezo Anne Holy Bull barrel! Do, is a limited release of all 2 songs!
The PROCESS-rosenkreutz CD
Here, a full album of the work in 2007. The basic is the hard core punk / crust sound to Roaring in the Dark, thorough refused to play the indiscriminate imitation with strong PUNK SPIRIT, the number of Unholy songs in raising that has been raised to create, has been crafted well indeed , expressive power also quality also finished higher, not a never TRAGEDY clonal Sole, GOOD in berserk darkness HC feel a single coherent originality! All nine songs!
