The successor to Planks 2010 release, the warmly received The Darkest of Grays, is the destitute sounds of Funeral Mouth – a record which bridges the blackened gap between sludge and hardcore and maybe a little crust with frantic shouts and depth of purpose. The German trio have been treading the fine lines of genre cross-over for many a moon and this group have consistently produced interesting and consuming work ever since their inception in 2007. It seems so long ago that The Darkest of Grays found its way into a scene overburdened with bands that were constantly pushing for a heavier sound whilst bringing nothing to the table. Planks sidestepped this by combining slow and doomed progressions with their harshly rasped vocal techniques and moments of grim and stark reality.