There’s a certain electricity when a band returns sounding hungrier, meaner, and more confident than ever before, and Fleshwork, the third full-length from London’s Pupil Slicer, feels like a rebirth wrapped in barbed wire. With Kate Davies on vocals and guitar, Josh Andrews on drums, and new bassist Luke Booth joining the fray, the trio waste no time proving that the chaos which once defined them has evolved into something sharper, leaner, and far more deliberate.

Opener “Heather” doesn’t just kick the door in; it sets the frame alight. A piercing guitar wail cuts through the mix like an alarm, while Davies howls with conviction that borders on the unholy. The riffs dart and collide with violent precision, yet there’s an undeniable clarity in the chaos. It’s an explosive statement of intent: Pupil Slicer are back with avengence.

“Gordian” twists and coils around a devastating central riff before detonating into blastbeat-driven fury. It feels both tightly wound and feral, the kind of track that teeters on the edge of collapse but never quite loses control. Two songs in, and they’ve already delivered one of their finest moments.

Things slow, but only slightly, on “Sacrosanct”, a sludge-laden monolith that drips with menace. There’s a muscular, downtuned groove reminiscent of early Slipknot, with Booth’s bass grinding through the mix like industrial machinery. The track grins through its grime, heavy and deliberate, pulsing with intent.

“Innocence” again pulls back the tempo but not the tension. It’s a bruiser of a track, a showcase of restraint and precision. The band’s newfound maturity seeps through here, less about relentless speed and more about weight and release. When the payoff hits, it’s cathartic, the kind of moment that will shake venues to their foundations.

Then comes “Black Scrawl”, a deranged highlight that feels like Carcass and Converge caught in a violent embrace. It’s intricate yet punishing, every riff twisting around the next with vicious glee. Beneath the violence lies an attention to structure and dynamics that makes it one of the record’s true standouts.

“Nomad” ventures into new terrain, threading black metal through to post-hardcore tension. The track breathes, contracts, and lashes out again, a seamless fusion of aggression and atmosphere. It’s the sound of a band pushing away from the confines of mathcore and discovering something wilder and stranger in the process.

The final stretch is equally gripping. “White Noise” convulses with focused energy, while the nearly eight-minute “Cenote” closes proceedings in spectacular form. From its grandiose opening to its eerie, drifting midsection, it feels vast and immersive. Even at its most experimental, Fleshwork never loses sight of what makes Pupil Slicer so thrilling: absolute commitment and feral intent.

With Fleshwork, Pupil Slicer don’t just refine their identity, they redefine it. This is the sound of a band shedding old skins and emerging sharper, darker, and more unpredictable. If Blossom hinted at potential, Fleshwork confirms it.

Fleshwork is released on the 7th November via Prosthetic records