Sheffield’s HIDDEN MOTHERS have crafted something extraordinary with their debut LP, Erosion / Avulsion. Emerging from the ever-interesting UK underground scene with 2019’s The Longest Journey Yet and a self-titled EP in 2020, the band has now unleashed a record that transcends their post-hardcore roots, offering an immersion into the visceral and the vulnerable, where melody and aggression coexist in unsettling harmony.
From the very first note, Erosion / Avulsion establishes its duality.
Tracks like “Still Sickness” and “Death Curl” juxtapose echoing, atmospheric guitar lines with unrelenting blast beats and pained, guttural screams.
Luke Scrivens’ vocals are a revelation—oscillating between delicate, Jeff Buckley-esque falsettos and throat-shredding cries of despair.
The interplay of these extremes builds an atmosphere that feels both expansive and suffocating, as if the listener is caught in the eye of an emotional storm.
This is not an album that holds your hand. It demands attention and rewards it with layers of complexity.
“The Grey” and “Violent Sun” are masterclasses in dynamic songwriting, shifting between crushingly heavy sections and moments of fragile beauty.
“The Grey” lingers in ominous territory, while “Death Curl” (feat. Pleiades) weaves vibrant threads of math rock and prog influences, adding depth to the album’s sonic arsenal.
By the time the monumental closer, “Haze,” unfolds, its mournful guitars and haunting melodies leave no room for reprieve—just a deep, aching resonance that lingers long after the final chord fades.
HIDDEN MOTHERS excel in their ability to tell stories. The album’s interlude, “Caton Green,” offers a brief oasis of calm, an ambient pause before plunging back into the album’s torrent of emotions. “Grandfather” ventures into unexpected territory, its slow, Americana-tinged lines and gruff, swaggering vocals revealing yet another facet of the band’s versatility.
Thematically, Erosion / Avulsion wrestles with darkness, rage, and fleeting hope.
These elements are embedded into every riff, every lyric, every scream, through torment and catharsis. The title itself hints at themes of destruction and repair, pulling apart and stitching together, and the music mirrors this tension in its every note.
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Production-wise, the album was recorded by Joe Clayton at No Studio, the sound is crisp yet raw, capturing every nuance of the band’s performance.
The colossal artwork by True Spilt Milk Designs further encapsulates the album’s themes, providing a visual representation of its sonic landscapes. And, of course, Church Road Records continues its streak of championing forward-thinking, emotionally resonant music.
What makes me love Erosion / Avulsion even more is its refusal to settle into one genre or sound, which basically lies ae the heart of IDIOTEQ’s backbone. The band draws from the fertile ground of 2000s hardcore and screamo, updating it with elements of black metal, shoegaze, progressive metal and post-rock. Yet, nothing feels derivative. HIDDEN MOTHERS are not emulating their influences—they are transforming them, creating a sound that feels immediate, relevant, and entirely their own.
HIDDEN MOTHERS made a bold, unapologetic statement of intent. The future looks bright—or perhaps beautifully dark—for this Sheffield band.
