Highlight Reel: Dopecopper - Sadistic Intent 7" (2014)
note: today i'm trying something different; as opposed to posting a track-by-track review of this release, i'm attempting to review it in its entirety within one paragraph, which should make for a more concise, digestible description of this short release as a whole
9.5/10
Dopecopper, a smalltime Baltimore crust punk outlet, were introduced to me as an opening act for UK punk band the Subhumans at a local Baltimore venue. Having seen them perform, I immediately bought Sadistic Intent on cassette for a measly five bucks from their merch table. This, Dopecopper's first EP, was released through Grimoire records, an independent Baltimore label specializing in extreme variations of punk and metal, and is the greatest thing I've come across in the realm of heavy, noisy rock in quite a while. The entire EP is unhaltingly loud, consuming your mindscape with rapid, immense, furious riffage and just enough melody in all the right places. These guys make an absolutely gruesome amount of noise from beginning to end on this record, without becoming tedious or uninteresting. The vocalist, credited only as Grey, screams with crisp aggression and spits out brutal truths with tight flow and unyielding passion, especially notable on the track Sleeping Leeches; "Justice system? Swallow their lies. There is no justice for the innocent who die." Even the more melodic moments on this EP, such as the reverberating, jangly R.E.M. type riff leading into (and out of) Paralysis and the sour, emo-tinged riffage of Burning Future are underlined by dark, metallic bass and absolute disillusionment.
You can listen to Sadistic Intent on Bandcamp here.
