8/10

After the seminal offerings of 'Conditions' and 'Conditions II' in recent years, Belfast’s Chalk bring their genre-smashing, high-intensity sound to a dramatic conclusion on Conditions III', closing out their EP trilogy with a release that feels as raw and unrelenting as the landscapes that shaped it. Recorded in the isolation of northern Iceland, this new collection is a feverish mix of post-punk grit, industrial weight, and pounding electronic energy.

Fusing razor-sharp production with pulsing drones and thunderous rhythms, 'Conditions III' feels more like the soundtrack to a dystopian film than anything else. The trio have crafted a sound that refuses to be confined, merging the relentless energy of hardcore techno with the chaotic pulse of industrial punk. It’s a heady mix, one that conjures the restless aggression of IDLES, the electronic grit of Daniel Avery, and the disorienting urgency of Death Grips, all filtered through Chalk’s own cinematic lens.

Following a breakout year that saw them tear through festival stages, 'Conditions III' finds Chalk in one of their more immersive guises to date. Brimming with this raw and inventive approach to their sound across all four-track, most notably on the cacophonous 'Afraid', they are a full-scale sonic assault and they’re only just getting started.