Illustrations Proclaim ‘War Have Mercy’ on New Ripper

Texas-based Illustrations have been quietly molding themselves into one of the most exciting bands in extreme music. In 2014, the group released their debut full-length, In Vain, a firestorm of metallic hardcore that earned them spots on bills with a wide variety of bands, such as Code Orange, Wreck and Reference, and the Fall of Troy.

Today, the band has announced their follow-up record, Acts of God, and you can hear new song "War Have Mercy" below. The band has notably made their ferocious base sound more complex with the use of a wider palette of instruments. The intro is grandiose and foreboding, almost pretty at times, but as the song progresses, things take a turn with thundering riffs crashing under the fury of Matt King's voice. At its midpoint, everything drops out to introduce a saxophone played by Yakuza's Bruce Lamont, which gives the song an unexpectedly insane edge. The song continues to a triumphant finish, sometimes perplexing, but completely destructive.

Hear "War Have Mercy" below, and look out for Acts of God May 26.