Filth Is Eternal
Impossible World
MNRK HEAVY
Could it be that Filth Is Eternal, a Seattle punk band birthed during COVID, knew that while the pandemic would eventually subside, the hedonistic, depraved moral rot that the crisis exposed at the core of the human race would not? It doesn’t matter. With the release of their December 2020 debut, Suffrage (initially released in 2018 under the band name Fucked and Bound), the group knew they were onto something that stood out as unique amid the resurgence of hardcore that kickstarted around that time. As further evidence of that, Impossible World finds Filth Is Eternal maturing into a band adept at writing songs lasting more than two minutes.
The band has a deceptive discography, given that on paper it appears Filth Is Eternal’s oeuvre consists of four full-lengths released in a span of just over five years. But a cursory look at their inventory neglects the gritty years the band spent grinding away in the local punk scene in the 2010s as part of a DIY collective. That explains why the band’s explosive, acrobatic sound was already well-honed when they signed to MNRK for the release of their third record, September 2023’s Find Out. Calling to mind Scowl and Drain in particular, the grungy-sounding group have grown by leaps and bounds with their fourth outing. Clearly trusting in the artistic vision, technical prowess, and songcraft that Filth Is Eternal boast, their label let the band self-produce one of their albums for the first time. The result is a record that is equally vibrant, dexterous, and unrelentingly compelling.
More so than Filth Is Eternal’s first three records, the band doesn’t behave as if they’re up against a clock, racing to squeeze as many songs into a 20-minute span as possible. They started flexing their chops on Find Out, getting their groove on with the sultry “Roll Critical” and relatively doom-sounding “Signal Decay,” with vocalist Lis DiAngelo singing for a good chunk of the record. On Impossible World, Filth Is Eternal takes the next step in that direction, as they place more emphasis on melody than ever before—so much so that a lively debate should ensue over whether this can actually be considered a hardcore record. Have no fear, intransigent fans of the Filth: “Total War” and “So Below” will scratch your itch. Rather, find comfort in the fact that a band that’s put in its dues over the years is cashing in and making a gamble that pays off magnificently.
