...But the Shadows Have Foes is a relatively new band out of Illinois that contains at least one former member of Angel Eyes, but that's about all I know—their nine-song debut full-length, Asabiyya, is a bit lean on background information.
It's no coincidence, however, that their name stems from the lyrics to a His Hero is Gone track, as their approach certainly worships at the altar of said groundbreaking Tennessee legends, with driving D-beat rhythms layered with octave chords and sinister melodies aplenty. I'd say they take it one step beyond, though, by hinting ever so slightly at some post-rock textures blended in amidst the core attack—nothing that detracts from the straightforward delivery overall, thankfully.
I've kept up with very little that falls into the crust punk type of arena in recent years, but these folks definitely hit the mark. Solid songwriting, solid production, and I quite appreciate the direct yet emotional socio-political lyrics as well—very much inspired by the embarrassing disaster that is the current state of affairs in the U.S. (lyrics cited below come from the song "V"):
There was a point, not that long ago, where I would have thought that someone using the word "Orwellian" was misguided, at best. Such grandiloquence stood in opposition to being nobly even-tempered and sober in one's assessment of exactly how awful things are. So it's a testament to how far we have fallen that the word "Orwellian" somehow doesn't seem strong enough.
Asabiyya is currently available for streaming or name your price download via Bandcamp.
