Album Review: Built to Bosh by Bosh

By Octavio Benavides   

Music Journalist 

The first time I saw Bosh perform was at the Austin High tunnels. I was surrounded by sweaty 20-year-olds and the smell of cigarettes. The day of work and school I had made me question if I even wanted to be at the show in the first place. The other bands came and went without much of an impact, but as Bosh began their set, something was different. When I think about hardcore, Bosh is the band that comes to mind. Their music is wild and violent, a punch to the face with each slam of the drums and tear of the guitar.   

As I stood there beside the mosh pit that night, I felt like I had been tackled, and I felt myself begging for more. I was obsessed from that first performance. No other band strikes like Bosh does; their music is as hardcore as it gets, and every piece of music they create is filled with the raw energy that churns at the roots of the punk scene. Bosh might just be one of the most authentic hardcore bands out there right now, and their most recent EP, Built to Bosh, is them at their finest.  

Built to Bosh is only eight minutes long and is as fast and powerful as a strong punch to the face. Its short runtime works in tandem with the songs split-second transitions to make the EP feel like one long song itself, the energy never dropping and keeping you wired from the second it begins. It starts with “Rundberg ln,” introduced with the droning sound of an air raid siren and a slow heavy bass, before erupting into a full-blown auditory assault. Bosh’s signature guttural vocals scream over the pounding drums, deep and ragged enough to make your throat hurt just from listening.   

“Inalienable Bosh Rips,” follows, heralded by the sound of a distorted didgeridoo, being suddenly cut off by hardcore chaos. This song, through its rapid drumming and stretched out bass feels like a panic attack in musical form, tightening your chest and getting the blood pumping. “Flatline” takes this energy and cuts it down the middle with a chainsaw, sounding like something straight off a DOOM soundtrack. It’s unyielding and aggressive, practically begging for you to throw yourself fist-first into the mosh pit, and this energy continues with “Design Flaw.” The vocals strain the ears, the guitar is sharp enough it could cut. As the album draws to its close Bosh refuses to go down without a fight, and “Bosh Beatdown” is as violent as the album gets. Everything about Bosh’s performance is pushed to its limits. The drums sound like they are going to explode with the guitars threatening to split. The vocals turn near inhuman as the song progresses, turning into sounds I doubt the mouth was meant to make. Then, as soon as it began, it’s all over.  

Built to Bosh is an album that is out for blood. Its songs are brutal and will find the most success in the chaotic air of a live show. Seeing Bosh live is seeing them at their strongest; their music is meant to be enjoyed at late night shows, in packed garages with fists and elbows flying through the air. I don’t feel that the full extent of the album, and Bosh’s work as a whole, can be truly appreciated unless it’s live and in the moment. Despite this, Built to Bosh is genuinely some of their best work yet. Somehow managing to pack its eight minutes with more passion than many other bands can fit into albums more than twice the length. While I was already optimistic about Bosh’s future releases, Built to Bosh increases that excitement tenfold. I cannot wait to hear what new music Bosh has coming, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to experience Built to Bosh live from the mosh pit.