Debut LP from PDX Metal Punk crusties, Genogeist, taking heavy influence from Japanese forebears SDS, Effigy, and Sacrifice, while keeping true to themselves and honing a unique sound. A soundtrack for the barren cyberpunk dystopia. Past and present members of Dodlage, Vastation, and Despair comes packaged w/ lyric sheet and 24×30 fold-out poster.
Our take: Back in 2018, we carried the demo tape from Portland’s Genogeist, and with their vinyl debut they’ve made the logical move to their home town’s punk institution, Black Water Records. Genogeist blend metal and crust into a sound that’s sprightly and even catchy. When I hear something described as “metallic crust” I worry it will be a bunch of boring riffs dressed up with palm muting, but Genogeist’s music is interesting and complex, reminding me of Sacrilege’s underrated second LP Within the Prophecy or the meaner end of thrash metal (stuff like Sodom or Onslaught) more than, say, early Axegrinder or Amebix. It’s an obscure reference for most people, but Genogeist also make me think of the late 00s Richmond band Parasytic, who had a similar knack for blending the catchy riffing and thoughtful songwriting of thrash metal with the griminess of crust.