Possibly the most devastating Reptilian Records release to date, the sound of a charnal-house being leveled by a fleet of Sherman tanks during rush hour traffic. More than hyperbole, that accurately describes this album’s sonic devastation. Fresh on the charred heels of the split 7” with Medic, also on Reptilian, TRIAC continues its scorched earth policy with Dead House Dreaming, 13 no-nonsense tracks where grindcore, sludge, and thrash intersect. Captured with demanding clarity, depth, and target-practice accuracy by Chris Camden @ Ultrasound, Dead House Dreaming holds court with dynamic arrangements and well-honed song craft. Blake’s vocals are an authoritative bark, commanding respect above the distorted fray.

TRIAC clearly gives a damn about raising the bar in extreme music beyond the usual bullshit posing, blood n’guts, speed trials, and triple-picked riff retardation. They’ve done it with Dead House Dreaming, elevating themselves quite a few gutter levels above the majority of grind bands content to wallow sheepishly in formula. Like Pig Destroyer or Soilent Green, TRIAC can stop the speed gears on a dime, shift into haunting experimental noise passages, 80’s thrash, full-on riff metal, or the kind of raw and ugly sludge favored by Glazed Baby or Buzzoven. Dead House Dreaming concludes with a respectfully noisy cover of Bauhaus’ “Double Dare”, and on the last note, it’s apparent there’s not a note wasted in this perfect album. Cover art torn from nightmares and translated into paint by artist Stephen Kasner.