There’s no light at the end of this tunnel. Scraping The Divine, the latest collaboration between grindcore titans FULL OF HELL and Toronto’s industrial noise architect ANDREW NOLAN, isn’t here to comfort you. It’s here to tear at your psyche and confront the bleak, existential void.
Born from recording sessions that stretched over four long, grueling years (2019-2023), this record embodies the dissonance and raw energy that both artists are known for. FULL OF HELL, no strangers to chaos, teamed up with producers Seth Manchester (Machines with Magnets) and Kevin Bernsten (Developing Nations), while NOLAN handled tracking, mixing, and production. Nick Townsend came in at the end, applying the final oppressive layer with his mastering touch.
This isn’t just FULL OF HELL flexing their grindcore roots—this project pushes far beyond. A cast of guest artists add to the hellish soundscape, with Taichi Nagura (ENDON), GxCx (CONTAGIOUS ORGASM, BBVGC, ex-GUILTY CONNECTOR), Justin K. Broadrick (GODFLESH, JESU, JK FLESH), INTENSIVE CARE, and Alex Hughes (HATRED SURGE, HOLY MONEY) delivering even more layers of sonic weight, making sure Scraping The Divine doesn’t just shake your speakers but buries you in it.
The first single, “Burdened by Solar Mass,” sets the tone for this nightmare. FULL OF HELL’s Dylan Walker describes it as “the first point where our worlds collided.” This track drips with nihilism, with warped guitars and thick, pulsating dub rhythms underpinning a stark message about our cosmic insignificance. It’s a brutal reminder that nothing in the universe cares about us, and any sense of purpose we cling to is fleeting at best.
Savage Pencil, whose haunting illustrations have graced works from the likes of SWANS, SONIC YOUTH, BIG BLACK, and SUNN O))), crafted the album’s cover art—a fittingly ominous visual that matches the album’s dark themes.
If you’re expecting easy listening, look elsewhere. This record is a full-on confrontation with the weight of existence, a battle between beauty and destruction. Scraping The Divine is not just a collaboration; it’s a descent into madness.
