Artist: Escalate
Title: The Damage is Done
Release: EP / Digital
Year: 2022
Label: 9 Lies, Final War, Ugly and Proud Records
I hadn’t heard much from Veszprém, Hungary’s band Escalate until I saw this posted up recently. Arguably the hardest vegan straight edge EP cover around, The Damage is Done is unrelenting and unapologetic when it comes to their blasting fire against those who enable and allow animal oppression. It’s clear that animal liberation is their message and they deliver it in a somewhat chaotic and very raw style.
There is also quite a misanthropic element to this release, giving me a sense of hopelessness which is bound by human self-gratification and selfishness. Lyrics are super important for me in most genres and although the lines in these songs are quite short, they do well in painting quite a visual picture of the message Escalate are trying to get across. I recommend reading along while you listen the first few times at least. I love that this release isn’t too polished and is quite sludgy at times. It’s straight up pissed and angry as fuck. During the first few listens I wasn’t completely sold due to the chaotic and unpredictable song structure, but the sound grew on me and now I listen to it during my heaviest weightlifting sessions for that extra bit of grunt!
“Desensitized” would be my favorite track on this album. That end breakdown is tough as nails. The lyrics on this song in particular really hit me hard and exacerbate my frustrations and disgust for the way human animals treat our fellow non-humans. It tears me apart. I’m excited to hear a full album from Escalate, having clear ability to maintain a listener through more than a few songs but I doubt they could beat this wild EP cover, it’s enough to catch anybody’s attention.
Vegan Straight Edge is alive and well!
“An eye for a fucking eye!”
