Challenging the conventions of heavy music, the Bristol-based quartet Sugar Horse have introduced a powerfully-potent meld of hardcore-doom, stoner-esque sludge-punk that sounds convoluted on paper but proves devastatingly effective.

Further underscoring that fact is the introductory single from the band's forthcoming debut LP, The Live Long After with the uncompromising hulk of "Fat Dracula". Far from a casual listen, the commanding three-minute jaunt makes every effort to go for the jugular in what translates as pure volatility on the track. Substantiating the band's stylistic strength is the context of the track - a song about the abuse of the proletariat in what is a hamster wheel of reality - working solely to survive while exhaust the worker and ultimately improving only the life of the employer - an especially grim truth.

Combining the ability to articulate that kind of bleakness with an especially skilled, albeit unorthodox approach to heavy makes Sugar Horse a brilliant example of the state of aggressive music. Wile the band make it a point to emphasize their "averageness" as a accurate descriptor, their modesty, though well intentioned, understates their prowess. Even with a title like "Fat Dracula," the resulting cut and it's tongue-in-cheek title merit real praise for it's willingness to challenge the conventional and present something that thrives outside the box.

As for the band's take, their attribute their strengths to have a keen sense of self-awareness, "I think the best art is formed when it's creators enforce rigid rules on themselves. Mondrian had geometry, Mark E Smith had his hatred for cigarette taxation and we have a complete disregard for urgency."

Since the unit's 2015 inception and eventually full realization as a four-piece in 2019, Sugar Horse has asserted their nonconformist assault with properly praised EPs including Druj and Drugs. The arrival of the band's debut LP in The Live Long After, further cements their brand of visceral viability. In addition to tracks like "Fat Dracula," the album touts incendiary bursts like "I Am Not Now" - an anti-hymn based on an ancient Byzantine chant and "Death Cult", which details Aleph, the Japanese doomsday movement. Packed with plenty of raw sonic power and plenty to say, it's clear that Sugar Horse have figure out how to not only create intrigue but back it up with some especially compelling.

The Live Long After from Sugar Horse arrives on August 27th via Small Pond Records. Pre-order the album - HERE. Stream the KNOTFEST.com premiere of the band's visual for "Fat Dracula" below.