Fudge Tunnel
Hate Songs In E Minor

Alex Newport, co-founder, together with Max Cavalera, of the fantastic thrash-industrial-hardcore project Nailbomb, is now a respected producer (but also has a new band, Theory Of Ruin) but until 1994 he was the leader of one of the most ingenious bands the sludge-core scene has ever given us, the Fudge Tunnel.

The group was born in 1989 in Nottingham, England, and right from the start they were characterized by a claustrophobic, distorted, and particularly aggressive sound that skillfully (perhaps uniquely) mixes the harshness of sludge with certain hardcore and industrial elements.

Their debut "Hate Songs In E Minor," released by Earache in 1991 (preceded by EPs and singles), is a lethal concentrate of violence, heaviness, and urban rage. Alongside Newport (on vocals and guitar) are Dave Riley (bass) and Adrian Parkin (drums).

From the outset with "Hate Song", darkness and malice take center stage, with dark, almost psychedelic riffs clashing with a grandiose rhythm section and Newport's slightly crazed singing, culminating in a spectacular start!

The quality continues with "Bed Crumbs", which features heavy, compelling hardcore incursions into the sludge framework with commendable work on the drums. Harder than a rock, "Spanish Fly" delivers five minutes and twenty-five seconds of pounding, dark sound. The following "Kitchen Belt" is also mega-distorted and well-constructed, hitting you like a punch in the stomach with its killer progression.

"Hate song (version)" is an industrial-like interlude that prepares us for "Boston baby", with an especially appreciable bass work and a powerful main riff. In the same vein as the entire album are "Gut Rot" (again with strong hardcore influences) and "Soap and Water".

Exceptional "Tweezers" with yet more riffs that scratch and make the listener's auditory system bleed, combined with a very engaging rhythmic intermezzo. We draw near to the end of this great album with "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Cat Scratch Fever" (in the latter, with a very rock-like feel, you can also hear influences reminiscent of Motörhead).

With a granite-like production that offers no escape, putting the focus on furious guitar work and rhythmic section while slightly overshadowing the vocals (perhaps the only criticism to make), the English combo crafted a sludge-core gem that rightfully belongs among the essential records of the genre and (perhaps it's a bit bold but I personally believe it's right) of the '90s in general.

The Fudge Tunnel is among that group of now-defunct bands truly to be missed, as they symbolized a compressed, compact, and very personal sound. If only there were bands like them today!

Rating: 8.5/10