Minors Abject Bodies

In 2017 Windsor, ON’s Minors released their brief but powerful debut, Atrophy. The album was a speaker-blowing fusion of chaotic hardcore and filthy sludge. Minors blasted through eighteen minutes of frenetic riffs, bleak tones and piercing feedback, carving out their own niche in the world of hardcore. On Abject Bodies, the four-piece have reeled themselves in a bit, giving the songs a more focused sound. Don’t get me wrong; Minors certainly haven’t toned down their frantic mayhem, but on their second album the group appears to be more dialed into the song-writing process. The tracks move more fluidly, transitioning between sections with greater ease. The grungier side of Minors has also become more apparent. After the bleak instrumental opening track, “Consumed” finds the band grinding through a furious opening section before dropping off into a pounding crawl. The swampy second half, with its lethargic minimalism and scratchy screams, is a clear nod to Sludge Metal pioneers Eyehategod. In fact, almost the entire first half of Abject Bodies plays out similarly. Both “Meanderist” and “Boneyard” rip through Converge-like tumult before slowing down for their closing sections. While “Meanderist” unravels into a wall of dissonance, “Boneyard” soars into some sort of Post-Metal dirge, clearing the path for Abject Bodies doomy conclusion. The album's first five tracks make up a combined sixteen minutes of playing time, but the final thirteen are reserved for the last pair of songs. While Minors spend Abject Bodies' first half pummeling out a sense of inescapable claustrophobia, they flip the script for the second half. “Erode” and “Garden Of Dismalism” see the band stretching out, exploring darker atmospheric textures. The slow, deliberate nature of these tracks explode into Neurosis-esque blares, dark voids that march the album to completion. Bottom Line: Expanding their sonic depths while discovering their unique sound, Minors have added what should prove to be a pivotal entry to their catalog.