2009 Grindcore Top 10

With the number of yearly metal releases continuing to stay above 10,000 the "Top 10 Albums" list is increasingly attaining the unspoken addendum, "...That I've Heard." No one can listen to it all. For my part I've listened to over 160 grind albums this year, along with 28 EPs and 51 seven-inch splits. Yet still, when averaged against the full volume of available yearly material, I barely scratched the surface. At the same time, I'm still discovering quality bands and albums from a few years ago. That said, it's been a great year. Many newer bands are returning to the genre's roots. Add the advances in production and musicianship and it is easy to see many good things and solid returns on the grind horizon.

So here it is, my "Top 10 Grindcore Albums of 2009... That I've Heard." And honestly, I think albums 11-30 are just as viable, just as worthy of consideration. I knew right from the start that I couldn't please everyone, and since I don't have to, I didn't try. Still, you are encouraged to rip into these picks with the rapacity of a slighted sports fan. And if anyone is feeling constructive, then by all means, post a list of your own.


#10 - Weekend Nachos - Unforgivable
Label: Relapse
Buy here
Review






More hardcore than grindcore, less powerviolence than anticipated, Unforgivable probably doesn't even belong on this list. It's major redeeming quality is how heavy this album is. Not "heavy" in some Lip Service To The Genre type of way, but truly, neutron star Heavy. From front to back the riffs on Unforgivable serve the title justice.

#9 - Parlamentarisk Sodomi - De Anarkistiske An(n)aler
Label: 625 Thrashcore
Buy: Sold out. Pester 625 for another printing.
Review





Quite simply the best one-man grindcore band that ever was, PxSx encapsulate everything about the genre: lyrics dripping with unadulterated political fury, riffs covering every possible tangent between crust and thrash, and equally important, an approach so full of hate that you almost feel the same way about Norway that he does - even if you've never been there. There would be more fans if the production was a little better. It takes a trained ear to hear the goodness through the static.

#8 - Hatred Surge - Deconstruct
Label: Rescued From Life Records
Buy: Mailorder from RFL, or try Google.
Review




Strike another band off my "overdue for a full length" list. On Deconstruct Hatred Surge adds a secret ingredient to the powerviolence formula: integrity. Many will speak to the awesome vocal performances as a reason to enjoy this album. For me it's the music. The songs are constructed so well that this could have been an instrumental album and I would love it just as much. Deconstruct "feels" authentic.

#7 - Attack Of The Mad Axeman - Scumdogs Of The Forest
Label: Scrotum Jus Records
Buy here
Review






Tree Hugging Death Grind never sounded so good. Just enough punk influence to keep the grinding raw and just enough death metal influence to keep that raw grind from sounding stale. The fusion is rather interesting - instead of trading off one riffing style for the next, they fused both styles into their riffs. Is it deathgrind 2.0 or deathgrind done right?

#6 - Squash Bowels - Grindvirus
Label: Willowtip
Buy here
Review




I cannot get enough of this album. If it was released earlier in the year I would most likely rate it even higher. Grindvirus is as heavy as grind gets. The riffing is seriously down-tuned crust and the drumming is near perfect for the genre. Many say Squash Bowels play goregrind (which I am not buying for a second) but if that's the case then they are the Bolt Thrower of gore.

#5 - Nashgul - El Dia Despues Al Fin De La Humanidad
Label: Power-It-Up
Buy here
Review




Nashgul play Blast Beat Punk at it's finest - and toss in the right amount of thrash riffs to give their songs a constant feel of variety. Nothing new, nothing innovative, just pure attention to classic grind details. They also add a strange twist to the genre by having their "air raid siren" at the end of the album instead of the traditional beginning. I wonder what Andrew thought of this?

#4 - Super Fun Happy Slide - The Undislodgable Nugget Scenario
Label: Bizarre Leprous Productions
Buy here
Review







The Undislodgable Nugget Scenario sounds like the lost live recording of a grindcore super group touring in the late 80's. From their warning in the intro that "It's a Fast One" all the way through to the end, those of us who remember Reagonomics as more than a D.R.I. song should be sent adrift down memory lane. "I Can't Believe It's Not Carcass."

#3 - Afgrund - Vid Helvetets Grindar
Label: Willowtip
Buy here
Review







Slimming down to a three piece and showing a level of musical maturity not expected from a sophomore album, Afgrund truly came to play on Vid Helvetets Grindar. No longer the second cousin once removed of Nasum and Rotten Sound, Afgrund established their own style and approach this time around. It's got a little punk to it. It's got some thrash. And it proper grinds.

#2 - Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse
Label: Relapse
Buy here
Review








I had given up on Scott Hull. Nothing he has done since 2001 blew me away. Sure, it's all good, but good can be found almost anywhere. Enter Agorapocalypse. Everything came together fittingly here. The drums sound organic, realistic, plausible. Any drummer could sit down and follow along. The riffs are as intense as Mr Hull has laid down in years. And Randall came through with his best vocal performance. It seems like all Scott had to do was waste a year of his life on a movie soundtrack that was never used.

#1 - Wormrot - Abuse
Label: Scrotum Jus Records
Buy here
Review












I question the integrity of any grindcore fan who does not have Wormrot somewhere in their Year-End Top 10. The only viable excuse is not hearing it. The entire grindcore ethos is represented on Abuse. Punk collides with crossover at furious speeds. Social and political issues are skewered lyrically. The only modernity on the album is found in the musicianship - which is flawless from beginning to end. "Here's your Patriot Act; here's your fucking abuse of power!"

Top Albums of 2009, My Way.

So here we are, at the end of the year and what a year it's been. From the bigger names, to the obscure and almost unknown, it's been a productive year. I've compiled the ten albums I think that really stole the show. There's plenty of great eps, splits, and singles I'd love to mention, but we've limited our top tens to albums only. Big names like Magrudergrind, Hatred Surge, and Napalm Death dropped titles on us this year, so there's a lot of competition, but I've narrowed it down to the best ten album of there year. Hope you find something new, and hope the year was as good for you as it's been for me. Links provided, but as always we hope you buy the thing if you like it. Links lead to reviews and downloads contributed by Sludge Swamp, Attila and our very own staff.

10. Wormrot-Abuse
Now I know 206 won't be happy with me for this placement, but Wormrot's furious debut Abuse, showcases a modern twist on the glory days of Earache and blasts its way through 23 tracks of pure grindy goodness. Competent, excellent executed, and viciously delivered, Wormrot rock.

9. Liturgy- Renihilation
From unlikely origins, Liturgy is the creation of Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, whose primarily known for his hardcore outfit, Birthday Boyz (now Survival). While the band predates Krallice, the comparisons can't be ignored. Endless tremolo picked riffs at lightning speeds paired with a endlessly blasting drums. The music's great, and strays from the long-windedness of Krallice and finds it's strength in the crescendos and energy of buildups and simple progressions.

8. Infernal Stronghold- Godless Noise
More blackened crusty thrash from Philly's favorite. Fast thrash with the attitude of punk and the filth of black metal, Infernal Stronghold deliver black metal with a sense of fun and energy. They're a band that doesn't take themselves too seriously and understands music's about enjoyment, not about being evil. Infernally good.

7. Hatred Surge-Deconstruct
Finally a full length from these gulf coast monsters. Hatred Surge sticks with what they know, which is quite a lot, and brings crushingly heavy power violence with all the bells and whistles. Slow sludgy sections, blazing fast grind sections and an awesome punky outro all with both male and female vocals. While it's a bit short, there's no filler to be found; a must!

6. Nashgul- El Dia Despues Al Fin De La Humanidad
My new favorite Spanish band, Nashgul, encompass an overall brutal, thrashy and fun sound with their first proper LP. Thick and punky bass, varied vocals, masterful drumwork, riffs upon riffs and varied composition create my favorite grind album of the year. Songs like "La Plaga,"
"Snake Plissken," and "Disintegration In A Flash Of Light" are absolute highlights and give a good example of what you're in for.

5. Ben Frost- By The Throat
My biggest and most fruitful surprise of the year, By The Throat really standouts as one of the best ambient/minimalist/electronic whatever works I've ever heard. A real curve ball for the typical Chainsaw Justice banter, but Ben Frost's seamless composition and soundscapes create as much of an eerie as well as beautiful soundtrack to a dream I've never had.

4. Arckanum - ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ
Occult and extremely annoying to talk about (in terms of the symbols) Arckanum's latest showcases one of black metal's most consistent and best artists. Whole and clear production tagged along with excellent composure and attention grabbing riffs, vocals, and drumwork create Arckanum's best release to date. For fans of modern sounding, but wholly authentic, black metal.

3. Anaal Nathrakh- In the Constellation of the Black Widow
Returning with their best album yet, Anaal Nathrakh combine all the former elements that seemed to be scatterbrained throughout previous releases into one cohesive and brilliantly powerful album. Filthy and raw riffs coupled with moments of anthemic and powerful clean vocals and riffs help to create an exceptionally awesome paradox of an album. Not much else to say beyond that they absolutely slay here.

2. Teitanblood- Seven Chalices
The album Blasphemy wishes they could write, Seven Chalices is a harrowing and amazingly heavy black metal release which almost rivals many of the classics in the black/death metal field. Having one of the best openings to any album I've ever heard, Seven Chalices combines the super heavy and fuzzy guitar tone of Archgoat and the like with wild solos, thrashy breaks and plenty of riffs. The small interludes and beautifully bizarre packaging heighten this occult and ancient vibe that carries the album so well. Best black metal album I've heard in a bit, hands down.

1. Weekend Nachos- Unforgivable
The best marriage of misanthropy, energy, and violence I've heard in a long time, Weekend Nachos easily deliver the best album of the year. Surging hardcore paired with dismally heavy sludge like sections and plenty of mosh friendly beat downs really highlight the violence in power violence. I can't give enough praise for this album, read my review to see how i tried to put how awesome it is into words.

Here are some great albums that didn't make the cut.

Altar of Plagues- White Tomb
Katharsis- Fourth Reich
Skagos- Ast
Dimatergon- Crossroads
Kylesa- Static Tensions
Portal- Swarth
Fleshpress- Season in Sludge- Decade in Doom (I can't find this anywhere, not even an mp3... would be in the top ten if i could)

My Gift To You

I live in a fantasy world. In this world Democracy is a euphemism for State Sponsored Slavery. Capitalism is an Oligarchy Of The Rich. And the whole purpose of Free Market Economies is, as Hakim Bey so rightly put it, "the commodification of damn near everything." I call this fantasy world America, and those who live there, Americans.

For eleven months of their year, Americans are only concerned with instantly gratifying the many and varied desires their televisions impresses upon them. To this end they slave away for little green pieces of paper which they use exclusively to purchase ungodly amounts of shit they do not need. They say it gives their lives meaning, that they are these possessions they enslave themselves to obtain. But during the last month they suddenly extrovert their desires and take a tremendous interest in their friends and family - instead of spending all their money on themselves, they spend it all on their friends. This also makes them happy. They say it is all to celebrate the birth of a man who conveniently failed to practice what he preached during his moment of truth. They like it when their heroes fall from grace. It reminds them of themselves.

I think it's all bullshit, but I am unfortunately a part of this world. It is my belief that the only way out of something is through it. So until we as a collective come up with a good idea or three to distance ourselves from all this madness, I have to play along. I have to fit in, or at least pretend to. So then, with that in mind, I present my gift to you: the Magrudergrind - Shitstorm Split released on Robotic Empire Records. It contains the best work to date from both bands and features the fantastic artwork of John Baizley. This is far and away one of my favorite splits. Ever. Now if by chance you already have this, than please allow me to point something else out about the people I live with: they are insanely passive-aggressive. The proper course of action is to smile politely and say, "Thank you; it is the thought that counts," and then, after I walk away, proceed to talk with your friends about how I am the embodiment of everything you hate. It is only fair.

Cheers.

Comp Crazy Finale - This Comp Kills Fascists

Fascist Killers Space
Release: 2008
Type: CD/LP /7-7" Boxset
Label: Relapse / Deep Six

Timeless. Instant Classic. Oldie But Goodie. Terms of endearment proof positive not that the collective output of the music industry is a pile of coal stacked higher that Mt Everest - which it is - but that the footfalls of scouring music fans creates just enough pressure to form gems worthy of us scratching the surface for. And there is also a fourth, equally important category which happens to be the subject of this review: Iconic.

Just think about the number of bands who went from relatively unknown to releasing an acclaimed album within a year of this comp. Without looking at the track list we know Maruta signed with Willowtip and released In Narcosis. Weekend Nachos, then a powerviolence act, signed with the mighty Relapse and released the hardcore masterpiece Unforgivable. Spoonful Of Vicodin went from virtual obscurity to releasing their back catalog, a new album, and if that was not enough, found themselves touring Europe - and along the way sharing a few stages with Insect Warfare on their farewell tour. And of course ASRA, who went on to release the punishing The Way Of All Flesh before calling it a day.

And the goodness runs deeper. Grind godfathers Brutal Truth used the comp as a catalyst for their comeback album. Kill The Client, Insect Warfare and Magrudergrind make an appearance. It's essentially the Who's-Who of Extreme Metal Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, on one CD assembled by probably the only man with enough clout in the industry to pull it off: our favorite Defense Contractor, Scott Hull. Rarely has one comp served as a springboard for so many bands to launch themselves squarely into the extreme metal mainstream. But that can be said another way: rarely are so many quality bands available with new material when the right producer comes knocking. It was the perfect storm, and as luck would have it, we the fans are able to reap all the rewards on this iconic CD. Cheers, Mr. Hull. I appreciate you.

It does exactly what it says on the tin. Listen at your leisure. Own this fascist killing comp today. The packaging is top-notch: each band gets their own page on the inlay card - and the CD itself features George Bush sucking a dick swastika. And vinyl? Worth every penny, plus shipping. Cheers.

Thou/Mohoram Atta- The Degradation Of Human Life

Mohoram Atta Myspace
Thou Official Site
Release Type: 12" split lmt. 1000
Released: November 2009
Label: Halo of Flies / Feast of Tentacles
Genres: Sludge/ Hardcore

NOLA's most hardworking band Thou put out their fifth release of the year with The Degradation Of Human Life. Here we see Thou's swampy gloom coupled with Mohoram Atta (a new band for me) who does an excellent brand of His Hero is Gone/Cursed hardcore with a touch of black metal. As with all Thou releases expect only the utmost quality here. Beautiful matte jacket with more of the excellent imagery you'd expect from them along with a matching innersleeve.

Things start off with a bang as Thou surges at a midpaced punk beat. Production's pretty much the usual jig, heavily distorted guitars, thundering drums and the voracious vocals clear and audible; if anything the overall production sounds a bit thinner, while the guitars sound a bit heavier, if that makes any sense. Thou plays much more traditional sludge with this, although as noted "Don't Vote" is pretty up tempo and even has some double bass work. Competently executed and well done, Thou maintains a level of quality many bands pray for, but if there's a fault to be had it lies in the lack of variation as this release depicts Thou staying safely within the parameters of sludge and it lacks the post rock touch that has always been the icing on the cake for them. Although my complaints are pretty moot as "Shorties With MP 40's, The Personal Is The Political" jumps from slow, to sludge slow and really peaks around the end displaying a powerful and great song. There's even a Minor Threat cover (Screaming at a Wall) which is excellent and the band rightfully proclaims in the liner notes "Punk lives." As we all know, metal bands embracing punk is a favorite of mine so this was great to hear. Also, on a side note I love Thou's lyrics and beyond that I love their imagery and politics. My favorite thing has to be the Black September fold out "Speak to cops the only way they understand" and has an M16: excellent.

While Thou pours a lot out on their side, Mohoram Atta fire back with the same caliber. As mentioned earlier, Mohoram Atta's a new band to me, but they play a pretty dismal and heavy brand of melodic hardcore a'la His Hero is Gone. The tonality and the production is very reminiscent of mid 90's Norwegian black metal and creates a powerful atmosphere, something I had always wished HHIG would've done more effectively. The last track sounds like Darkthrone covering newer Envy (Jpn) and it's easily my favorite part of this split. Oppressive and dark, the track fades out and signals a powerful emotive effort from the band and makes me zone out in enjoyment. Employing blast beats, a variety of vocals (including mass shouts), sludgy to black metal like riffs throughout their sound, Mohoram Atta display a plethora of skill. Defiantly a band to look out for Mohoram Atta's brand of dark melodic hardcore is right up my alley as there's slow sludgy parts, heavy midpaced head nodders, d-beats set to razorfast riffing and melodic black metal like riffing that makes me all giddy like a girl scout.

Buy here or here, here or here for you Europeans.

-F

Spewtilator-Thrash N Splash

Official Mypsace
Label: Reaper's Grave
Released: Nov 2009
Release Type: CD-R, Tape. Demo
Genre: Thrash Metal

So what do sharks, Slayer parodies, and thrash have in common? They all kick ass. Atlanta's own bastard thrashtards seriously Slay(HA!) here with their first release, aptly titled Thrash N Splash. The cover of the tape says it all, from the retro flipped hat, to the bong hit and munchies, and to the shark just tryin' to relax, Spewtilator are all about having a good time.

This short demo starts things off with an homage to one of my favorite Slayer songs, Altar of Sacrifice, of course here it's a tasty Snackrifice. The production's raw as hell and feels very live, something I'm a fan of, yet the riffs and drums standout just fine, as well as the vocals (unfortunately the bass falls to the wayside). There's a very one take feel with the band and I really appreciate that. The riffs are excellent thrash riffs that jump from fast to hyper speed. Picture Slayer teaming up with Repulsion and you've got Spewtilator. From the great traded vocals much like Impaled, to the catchy thrash riffs to the hyper speed grind sections and everything in between Spewtilator kick dick. "D.O.T.D" is easily my favorite song as the riffs are menacing and catchy and the interjection of slower parts in between the midpace thrashing is awesome.

The only real complaint I can give is the production, as it's obviously louder in the left channel than right, and I really don't know what to chalk that up to. I listened with my tape player, in a friend's car, with my expensive headphones, with my cheap headphones and still no difference. And while the music is exceptionally awesome, such a misstep is hard to avoid.

If you like your thrash heavy, rough, and violent this is for you. Promising for a painful and delightfully energetic live show, Spewtilator kick major ass with this one. Unlike many modern thrash bands trying to play off the retro fad going on now, Spewtilator actually kick ass and rework the gimmick to a perfect mixture of originality and tribute.

For fans of old Slayer, Ghoul, Infernal Stronghold, and Sharks. These guys better make their way to New York so I can thrash myself stupid.

Buy it directly here from the band for only 5 bucks; c'mon.

-F

Hatred Surge- Deconstruct

Myspace
Label: Rescued From Life Records
Release Type: LP, CD
Released:2009
Genre:Power Violence

Honestly I don't know how we at CJ skipped this one, I mean Hatred Surge is just as big of a house hold name as Insect Warfare or any of these other U.S. grinders, blasters, violencers, or whatever you wanna call them. Frankly I feel silly. Here we see Hatred Surge deliverer the goods with their first full length, although in all honesty it feels a lot like an EP or MLP, but whatever I Like Hatred Surge enough to not give a damn.

For those of you out of the loop Hatred Surge incorperate a thick and super heavy guitar/bass attack, thudding drums and some awesomely voracious vocals. The duo of voices that is Mr. Alex Hughes and Ms. Faiza Kracheni, absolutely rip; of course I'm a sucker for female vocals like these paired with power violence and the like, but still; dope. What they deliever are powerful and memorable music that's completely unforgiving. The thick plucky bass and shouted vocals in gang fashion that show up around end the record carry that old punk vibe perfectly and act as an appropriate closer. The vocal delivery is one of Hatred Surge's best assests, from all the stuff I've heard by them (Insect Warfare split, Endless Blockade split, S/T ep) the vocals always stand out and have me shouting away and kicking all kinds of things across the room, it's no different here.

Whilst kicking shit around in my room, the "surge" (too good a word to describe the band) from song to song is flawless. Punky sections to out of the blue blast beats, to dismal sections of feedback and pounding drums Hatred Surge are a seamless act. They encapsulate flow so well, each song leads to another perfectly and the rhythmic shifts promise for a satisfying live show. The combination of a sludgy guitar tone, as well as stylings of the aforementioned genre works so perfectly (see the first track) in comparison with the ultra stupid as fuck fast blasting.

Hatred Surge does the scene proud with another reliable and highly enjoyable release. They're still kickin' the same kinda vibe they've been doing for a bit (although I see some Mind Eraser seeping in more obviously) but this is their first full length and I can hardly blame them for that.
Blast this loud, blast this proud, put the thing on repeat and spazz out for as long as you can.

Take a gander here, buy here.


On a completely unrelated note I haven't been able to stop watching this video. I'm an instant fan after seeing this. Check their myspace, the banter between them and Graf Orlock is hilarious.





-F

Comp Crazy pt 2 - Obscene Extreme 2009

ObsceneSpace
V/A - Obscene Extreme 2009
Type: CD
Release: 2009 (?)
Label: Obscene Productions

I don't know where this came from. I didn't order it - didn't even know it was for sale. Hell, is it even for sale? Who knows. But to whoever left this on one of my turntables, to stare back at me in the morning like it was my hand-picked disk de jour, you are not getting it back. So don't even ask.

To put it simply, Obscene Extreme 2009 is the business. You have to stick your arm in past the elbow to find the end of this horn of plenty's offerings: 36 different bands (all of whom attended the festival) playing 39 songs in 72 minutes. I half expected to see something along the lines of "arranged by DJ Bullet Belt" on the inlay card. It runs like a meticulously selected iPod shuffle list. Like a radio set some college kid spent two days arranging. It works because the disk has it all: thrash, powerviolence, grind, death/grind and a brutal version of each along the way. Even triggered brutal death grind for that one guy who likes to get a headache from click track blast beats. Oh, and a few unreleased songs, like the lead off track by Municipal Waste.

But what sells it from me is the song selection. I have a few of the albums and splits these songs were taken from: they did not choose the best song but instead the song that best represents the album. So if you like what you hear from a band then you are assured to hear 2-3 other songs on their album you will like even more. Does a number for justifying the expense, should ye be so inclined...

It also did me a favor. I particularly enjoyed the bass assault of Spasm and the accident at the intersection of Powerviolence and Grind that is Slavebreed. Maybe you will be so lucky. Find yourself a new band. Give your thanks to whoever left this at my place.

Comp Crazy pt 1 - Illegal Grinding

Release: 2009
Tyle: CD
Label: Various

Next to word-of-mouth and blind luck, compilations are the best way to discover new bands. And since I live in a city devoted to Indy Rock and being Politically Correct, word-of-mouth is not going to get me very deep into the grindcore industry. So comps it is. They are also rather frustrating, since most of these bands have a woeful lack of material, that being primarily on 7" splits. Therein lies the other issue: many people do not own a record player, which makes it tough for the band to get an international following. It's a double edged sword. On one side, if the records don't sell, the band does not get heard. On the other, assholes like me ripping the vinyl for your listening pleasure get the band much-needed exposure, but the release does not sell. Thankfully, this comp is on CD and is supported by good distribution. Maybe we can all do our part...

Illegal Grinding starts off with a cover band. I use "cover" in a tongue-in-cheek way, but also as a term of endearment, as I like the band. They are Bloody Act Of Terror, a band who, even if you have never heard them, will sound very familiar. In the titular song they play a poor man's version of the mosh bit from Napalm Death's "Mentally Murdered." Then comes "Lets Talk About Nothing," which is actually "Burning Inside" by Nasum. Same drums, same riffs, same vocals patterns. It appears only the title changed. The rest of their tracks ring with the same familiar sounds, but I will leave you the task of spotting which bands get emulated - and really, this is fine, seeing the whole imitation/flattery thing. I am only disappointed that their page on the inlay card does not devote a few lines to giving credit where credit is due.

Next up comes my first encounter with the west coast two-piece act Goner. They sport two mics, one guitar, a drum kit, and a DIY recording budget. It's a recipe for grinding madness. The set list felt incredible short, but it was enough to capture my interest. I liked their guitar tone, the pure grind riffing and definitely the consistent use of varied drum patterns (as opposed to Blast And Thrash I have come to expect from most young/new bands.) It doesn't hurt that the band is supported by To Lie A Lie and Bullshit Progaganda, two labels I have tremendous respect for. The labels have obviously heard the band more than I have, so just by liking this I think it's safe to assume that more goodness is just over the horizon. Aside from the shortness, my only issue is that they broke my unwritten rule of having a song with the sample longer than the music. Thankfully it was the final tune, so in a sense it is easy to overlook. Speaking of easy, Goner is a band I could easily see being brutal live. I'd like to hear them do a split with Gate or Shitstorm. Those records would sell.

The third band on the list plays grind influenced thrash, and they do it right. Starting out with "Contamination," a classic Sepultura meets Abscess type of tune, Haemophagus introduce themselves as a band worthy of a full length. True to Thrash 101 requirments they sound like accomplished musicians having a right good time. I will be the first to admit that some of this sentiment might be from the juxtaposition of coming after Goner and before Sakatat, two heavy, no compromise grinders. Either way their songs were fun to listen to (great General Surgery cover) and made me want to look further into the band. Isn't that the point of comps? When I track down their new CD, it's mine. Simple as that.

After the thrash interlude comes Sakatat, a band more people should be familiar with. They play a brand of grind double-steeped in punk, an approach somewhat but entirely unlike powerviolence. Their songs are short, raw and in many ways rather simple, but it's about as pissed as a punk with an exposed nerve on a cold, windy day. Aggression counts for a lot in these parts. I've said it before and I will paraphrase it again: I will take simple riffs played with passion over great riffs played by the numbers, any day. Sakatat is another band that probably slays live. Their songs are over before you know it, which does them little credit on the comp. But an EP from them would be a vicious assault.

This brings us to the only band without new material on the comp: D-Compose. Contrary to what their name generally implies, there are no d-beats to be had here. If anything the "D" stands for Dissonant. All the songs were taken from their album in 2004 skillfully reviewed here. D-Compose write songs like a death metal band: they stand alone, each following their own progressions. There are no forced tempo changes or any parts that are extreme for extremity's sake. Very well rounded band. Hopefully their inclusion on the comp is to build up interest as they've been rather quite since then.

And finally, just to keep anyone from feeling left out, there is the deathgrind super group Splattered Mermaids, comprised of members from Deranged, Visceral Bleeding and Havok. Deathgrind and me rarely get along. We can trace the genre back to at least Genocide, who were nice enough to disband before following up Horrified. Then their is Harmony Corruption, whose only fault is that it followed up FETO. The list goes on - it seems that each time a band does deathgrind right, they go and change everything up on their next release, if their is a next release at all. That said, it's hard coming up with a better way to end this comp. Splattered Mermaids do not have the attitude I was hoping for, but they have a style that is not represented otherwise - which is another point of comps: something for everyone.

I really enjoyed Haemophagus, Sakatat and Goner (and was stoked that they all fell in line on the playlist.) The other bands are good in their own right and I would happily go see them live. You can give the disk a listen here. I picked this up as a means to check out new bands, but also to support To Live A Lie, because I love that label. The other labels that helped fund this release are: Corrupted Harmony, Jennifergrind, Bullshit Progaganda, Teriak, Extreme Terror Productions and Goregeous Productions. Show your support by picking the comp up here.

Praeter Morte- Purifying The Oppressor

Offical Myspace
Released: 2009
Release Type: CD, Full Length
Label: Last Resort Records
Genre: Melodic Death/Deathcore

With the explosion of the whole deathcore/metalcore scene over the past seven or so years, we've seen a slew of awful bands making their way into the mainstream and giving metal a new face which I'm sure a lot of us don't appreciate. Unfortnatly with the whole scene there are a handful of good bands that are just watering down At the Gates and mixing it with Sick of it All and Hatebreed. Case in point Long Island's Praeter Morte find themselves in an odd place, while at times they execute very good melodic death metal, and at other times fall prey to stereotypical and painfully uninspired moments with their music which has epitomized the reason people hold bands like Waking the Cadaver, Black Dahlia Murder, White Chapel, Suicide Silence and Killswitch Engage as metal's death knell.

Not being the biggest fan of this recent trend, there are a handful of great bands, some who prexisted the trend and got pushed into it (Darkest Hour) as well as others who were important innovators (The Red Chord's first album is one of the best post 2000 albums I've ever heard, and Despised Icon aren't half bad), but for the most part it all sounds the same to me.

I'm at odds with this cd as it portrays the band being very competent musicians, and at times excellent songwriters, but unfortunately they fall into cliches and live up to the repugnant stereotypes of the genre. The first track starts off excellently, showcasing catchy guitarwork with obvious nods to At the Gates as well as more than competent drumming and climatic breaks and developments, yet almost on que as I was enjoying myself comes a completely unnecessary breakdown which repeats ad nasum (hur hur hur). "I Remain" continues this perpetual cocktease as it starts with an excellent and attention grabbing riff and then shamefully delves into a two-step mosh section for absolutely no reason. Now I understand the gimmick, the reason, as when played live breakdowns are awesome, but to throw them around like Monopoly money gets rid of any climatic value. Strangely enough the track continues and employs another typical metalcore gimmick of clean guitar, but here it actually works and segways into a very enjoyable riff. The second track acts an exemplar of a very competent and talented band, for whatever reason, giving into stereotypes and gimmicks.

I think Praeter Morte really act as a microcosm for the whole scene as they have some awesome parts but hide it, almost as if they're embarrassed about it, between cliches to appease braindead fans or the market. "The Culling" is probably my favorite track although the breakdown acts in a funny manner as it's utterly pointless and annoying but then leads into an awesome section and a dope solo.

To se the record straight, I love breakdowns. Suffocation is my favorite death metal band, and one reason being their excellent use of rhythm, accenting and structure. Their breakdowns are flawless and never unwelcome, and just like Mike Smith's excellent blast beats, they're all used in moderation and never sicking. Even moreso, black metal with breakdowns is one of my favorite things (Nefastus Dies combines melodic death metal with black metal flawlessly and does this, Leviathan has a few, and I'm sure there's others) I like my death metal with breakdowns (Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Dismember, Devourment, Aborted, Blood Red Throne, etc) but all those bands know the proper use and in the case of Devourment it's an enjoyable gimmick done right, there's no melodic harmonized leads and clean sections to mar the slam.

At the end of the day Praeter Morte is a group of great musicians and talented artists playing beneath their ability. If they were to drop the gimmicks of the genre and focus more on stuff like the epic harmonized guitars in "S.S.P," the midpaced catchiness in the beginning of "To Those Left Behind" and or the tremolo riffing in "The Culling" but unfortunately there's way too many breakdowns, two-step sections, bad and misplaced inhale vocals and not to mention low quality artwork to make me want to come back to this.

I would be more lenient if the hidden track at the end of "Bodies on Sunrise" wasn't a cover from the awful Adult Swim show "Tim and Eric Awesome Show" ( I looked it up hoping it'd be some old nyhc song) but i guess in the end metalcore and shitty tv shows aimed at stoners accomplish the same thing, cheap temporal enjoyment with little reason to come back.

If White Chapel, Suicide Silence, Hatebreed, Black Dahlia Murder, etc etc is your thing then check this out, it'd be nice to see a smaller band like this reap the benefits rather then the Hot Topic mainstays like Suicide Silence. You can listen to their tracks on their myspace, as well as buy the cd from them, or you can buy the cd on iTunes I believe.


-F

Review: Ancient Obliteration - Destruction From The Past

Ancient MySpace
Release: 2009
Type: Demo CD/download
Label: Unsigned

Ancient Obliteration introduced themselves as "Deathened Street Metal" which, if anything, means they should shoot their marketing director. After giving "Destruction..." its fair share of listens I believe the band play Power Metal influenced Death-Thrash. Either way, asking an old punk and life-long grind fan to review this is truly an attest to their masochism, because honestly, their asking for it.

I hold the firm belief that a Demo is all about a band displaying it's potential. The band does not need to write great songs; they only need to write great portions of songs - so that the listener gets the impression that through time and effort those moments can be expanded into fuller, complete offerings. In short, expect nothing, but hope for the best.

Each song on "Destruction from the Past" at least has that moment. Like the 58-second mark in Tokyo Tower when the riff switches up leading into a solo. The two-step movement two minutes into Of Wisdom and Madness. A creative riff variation introduced at 3:03 in Portal Beast. The bass work from 1:48 on in Defiler, including the bass solo finalizing the tune. And the intro of Shogun which crashes into a driving little number. In all, the bass work is probably my favorite from this demo. Serving as more than just a backbone playing off the drums (while having plenty room in the production to work with) the bass tends to accentuate the space between guitar notes in the slower riffing while providing much needed depth to the death metal bits. Much appreciated.

And as stated above, this is all they needed to do - show they can put together just enough moments. The next logical step is to take those moments and build proper songs around them. But how? For the most part, the riffs in each song tend to overstay their welcome. The band spends way too much time on verse-chorus-verse riffing - which is only as interesting as the riffs being used. This is not trite criticism from my "Short, Fast and Loud" mentality. A big omission is in transition from one riff to the next. There are very few bridge riffs, virtually no throw away riffs - you know, the death metal staples. Too often one riff simple becomes the next. It's little things like this which provide the variation essential to elevate a band above its peers. Also the structure surrounding solos seem like a combination of impromptu and after thought. Impromptu in presentation of the solo, after thought in the music leading up to the solo - like they knew where the solo should be but not how to make it fit with the song. In fairness these are all expected one-track-minded traits of younger bands. It is difficult to know when a good riff is being overused, and even harder to know when to set that good riff aside to be used later in a song.

The biggest issue I have with the demo comes from an area I am also the pickiest about: the drumming, namely the inclusion of blast beats. However brief they may be, they are completely out of place. Couple this with how sloppily and lightly they are played. In a few spots it sounds like the drummer is just mashing as many pieces of his kit as possible - all on the same count. It takes so much away from the listening experience. This is easy to fix though: either learn to play blast beats as they are intended, crisp and powerfully, or omit them altogether.

Ancient Obliteration can be a good band. This demo shows it. It's a question of whether they are patient enough to put in the time and persistent enough to make the effort. They were kind enough to make the demo available for download here, and if you would like to support the band, pick up a copy here. It's only 5USD.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. And if you're outside of the USA I, as an ambassador of goodwill and festive spirits, I extend my hand to you to partake in our hypocritical but fun holiday.

Turkey, of course being the centerpiece of Thanksgiving, might ostracize those who are limpwristed enough to avoid meat, but regardless of those said limpwristed individuals they make some damn good music.

So I give thanks to these bands, as silly as your vegan/vegetarian view might be, I love your music.

(No time to upload my own rips, as well as my parent's connection is quite shitty, so thanks to whomever I've taken these links from...)

Disrupt-Unrest (Thanks 206)
Excellent album, it's Disrupt, need i say more? If i do, I'll just say excellent pissed off and HEAVY crust, awesome male/female vocals.

Extreme Noise Terror- Law of Retaliation
Still more grounded in modern production and leanings towards death metal, but a much larger hint of their old school sound, so it's a nice change of pace from Being and Nothing.

Dystopia-Dystopia
Their final album, awesome shit. Now and Forever is one of the best Dystopia songs ever. A lot of filler with this release, but whatever.

Nausea- Punk Terrorist Anthology Vol. 2
It's Nausea...duh.

Attack of the Mad Axeman- Scumdogs of the Forest
206's review's spot on, heavy grinding madness from Germany all in the name of animal rights (the right to be delicious I say). Fun(ny) band.

Aus Rotten- The Rotten Agenda
Everyone whose anyone know who Aus Rotten are, and if you don't you do now. Awesome midpaced hardcore/crust. Vehement and great lyrics propel one of punk's most important albums.

Most Precious Blood- Nothing in Vain
One of the few bands from Trustkill that's actually good, Nothing In Vain was a favorite of mine in high school. Excellent and melodic hardcore in the American vain such as old Hatebreed and the like. Some of these guys were in the ill-fated Cannius, a supergroup of dogs and members of MPB. All bark and no bite...

-F

Playing the waiting game

Two years ago Power-It-Up announced a Nasum Tribute. I love tribute albums. One reason is that contributing bands tend to use their own sound and approach to the songs they cover. Another is that these compilations invariable contain a few bands I have either never heard or completely forgotten about. So tributes are a great way to rekindle interest in older bands while sparking interest in the new breed. And seriously, how can you fuck up a Nasum song? Seriously. Flash forward to last September, two years and five updates later, we get word that it's a double CD and the release date is November 2k9. Yet here we are, with seven days left in the month - and nothing is for sale. But the promos have been shipped out, and know what that means: it's out there, right now, in some lucky fuck's CD player. That also means you can download it. Sure enough, a quick search yields torrents and download links a plenty. But the point is that here we are, us Nasum fans yearning for a fix, playing the waiting game... Dear Power-It-Up, my credit card is standing by.

For the past six months, at least, on Inhume's Myspace page there is a message that makes every fan take notice: New Inhume Album in 2009 on War Anthem Records. Checking the War Anthem web page gives additional information: the new album is due in November 2k9. This is starting to sound familiar, isn't it? Well, here we are, with a week to go and there's only an cover and a few songs to drool over. I was not much for the early Inhume records. Brutal Death Featuring Blast Beats is not my style. But Chaos Dissection Order is the business. Here they not only incorporated proper grind but showed an understanding of the genre. Add to this that the split with Mumakil showed every indication that they are continuing down this path and you have my full attention. So where is it? Even an update along the lines of "be patient" makes the waiting game much easier than silence. Dear War Anthem records, my credit card is standing by.


In other news, Rotten Sound just signed with Relapse and will release an EP in March '10. This might be a good move for them. Already being established, they should be able to hit the studio and do things their way.

Thou - Kingdoms

Official Site
Label: Peasant Magik
Released: 2009
Release Type: 3 cassettes lmt. 300
Genre: Sludge

My excitement aside, this release offers a handful for collectors, enthusiasts, and even the casual listener. Packaged inside a small jet black box (roughly 4x4x4in.) you get three cassettes, each with a thick plastic like paper covered with beautiful grey/black artwork, a pin, a sticker, a patch, a vial of pine needles/cones, a small booklet with lyrics and pictures all on a bed of moss; quite the package, no?

The music contained in this beautiful little package is all of Thou's work from 2007-2008, not including their first two demos. You get two full lengths (Tyrant & Peasant), The Retaliation of the Immutable Force of Nature EP, To Carry a Stone EP ,We Pass Like Night, From Land to Land(split with Leech), Thrive & Decay (split with Black September), and Malfeasance-Retribution EP. There's a lot to take in, but it's all excellent. You can really appreciate a band when they don't have a single bad song.

Having heard most of this stuff on vinyl/mp3 I can say it sounds excellent here. I heard the Peasant album in my friend's car in mp3 format and we both commented how overproduced and weak it sounded, not here; the tape sounds excellent and carries that filthy heavy sludge sound that's damn near perfect.

So as far as the music's concerned I'll break it down by singular release.

Tyrant
Being the first release I heard by Thou I was an instant fan. Songs like "Tyrant" and "Fucking Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean" are stellar highlights (listen to that buildup around 6minutes in "Tyrant" holy hell that's awesome). With the previously mentioned songs we see vibrant sludge mixed with beautiful post metal sections (soaring guitars, build ups, huge sound). The more Eyehategod like sections are excellent mid-paced crashes of heavy riffs and monstrous drums all accompanied by venomously powerful vocals. In terms of the vocals, they sound much more like black metal vocals than anything else, yet they're still decipherable. Thou excel at what they do because they seemingly manage to mix that ugly, filthy, drug ridden vibe that we associate with sludge and mix it with the celestial sound that comes to mind with bands like Pelican and Caspian. Easily one of the best sludge releases I've ever heard.

Thrive & Decay
An excellent release in it's own right, as Black September plays an awesome brand of death metal akin to older Bolt Thrower, but here it's just Thou (as with the other split material included). The song from this release has a great movie clip at the beginning and the song carries out in a similar violent manner. Much more like Eyehategod (I hate to keep comparing, but it's true). Awesome song title as well, "Smoke Pigs."

We Pass Like Night, From Land to Land
Four Songs here, previously from the split with Leech. Things start softly with a calming acoustic intro which leads to the spacey and serene "Here I Stand, Head In Hand" which explodes into a brilliant cascade of emotive force, embodying itself in thick walls of distortion ravenous vocals and seeping bass. A much more atmospheric a offering from Thou. Much like the first track, "The Defeatist's Lament" ends with waves of distortion and clean guitars, as well as those ethereal female vocals present on "Here I Stand..." A very "whole" feeling ep, more like a mini album.

Malfeasance-Retribution
The two songs from the ep are phenomenal as we'd expect. Here they're sandwiched in between the Black September split and the Leech split. You gotta love the song titles, "The Severed Genitals of Every Rapist Hang Bleeding From These Trees" (although on the actual ep it's "bleeding genitals..." I don't know if this is a typo on Peasant Magik's part or not). Powerful and driving, both songs are full of rich textures and drift from pounding sludge, to rhythmic changes, to harrowing atmospheric passages. A bit more sludgy, but brilliant nonetheless.


To Carry a Stone
More of the same; first "They Stretch Out Their Hands" carries on a midpaced sludge affair until it breaks down to a harrowing slow section which it never seems to dig itself out of. "The Road of Many Names" begins with the ominous feedback we're all used to and dives in with a super thick and artillery heavy riff. The little haunting clean riff around the end really works well and is quite creepy. All in all I'd have to say this is thou's weakest work, but that's like saying "The Return" isn't as good "Under the Sign;" we're all winners.

Peasant
"The Work Ethic Myth" kicks things off perfectly, as it's one of the best tracks on the album and depicts Thou's sound perfectly. Peasant, an album which I'm not as well versed with as Tyrant, is still magnificent but doesn't hold the same place that Tyrant does for me. Sections like 5:10 into "Belt Of fire To Guide Me Cloak Of Night To Hide Me" and the first real riff of "Burning Black Coals And Dark Memories" are great and make up the weight of quality for this album. Not as strong as Tyrant, but remarkable nonetheless.

The Retaliation of the Immutable Force of Nature
Two songs again here. "What Blood Still Runs Through These Veins" crawls at a snail's pace yet carries a hippo's weight. The sound is giagantic and the guitars are as thicker than any football linebacker you can think of. They achieve a huge sound here and juxtapose the sludgy thickness with beautiful leads and powerful riffs. The track peters out to distortion and leads way to "Acceptance" which is one of my favorite songs. It's a post metal instrumental done better than any post metal band. The beautiful guitars weave back and forth in between lapses of reverb and accompanying drums. It all builds to a monumental crescendo with some of the most enthralling guitarwork I've ever heard around the six minute mark which luckily continues until around ten minutes. The progression and delivery is simply breath taking and proves that Thou are an exceptional band.

Beyond the excellent music, Thou create wonderful lyrics and have an absolutely magnificent image in their artwork and merchandise. Little epigraphs here and there on various releases depict a well read and versed band, as well as establish the morose atmosphere of the band. With all the releases I own of the band, each one was well worth the money as they all come with something special and have great artwork, Kingdoms is no different. The quote on the first page of the booklet,

"She used the ancient, long-forgotten "thou"- the "thou" of the master to the slave. It entered into me slowly, sharply. Yes, I was a slave, and this, too, was necessary, was good."

Taken from Yevgeny Zamyatin's book We is a powerful epigraph to this impressive body of work. The boxset is only $20 and well worth it; I'm a very happy camper with this one. Go to Thou's webpage and you can listen to every song of theirs i think.

-F

Joe Pesci - At Our Expense

Joe Pesci MySpace
Release: 2009
Type: CD
Label: Bones Brigade

I'm like a 3-way split when it comes to bands named after thespians. One part of me doesn't care, another doesn't get the appeal and the third is waiting for an all-female band called Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. In the end it's all about the music, right? Joe Pesci the band has nearly everything we have come to expect from the actor: short songs, a pissed off attitude and an uncompromising approach. The only difference is that any project the actor signs his name to is going to have a production and marketing budget big enough to feed Sudan until the Mayan calendar ends. Conversely "At Our Expense" sounds like it was ripped from vinyl by holding a boombox to the output speaker. Like all poorly produced albums though you can increase your chances or enjoyment by turning it up a notch or three.

Just don't crank it up too loudly because, ironically, the few samples this album contains are actually mastered properly, i.e. twice as loud as the music - so you'll blow your ears if one of those pop up unexpectedly. That is really the only downer. Your ears adjust to the production just in time for a sample to fuck up your equilibrium and you have to adjust all over again. But let you be warned: any one who passes on this because it sounds like it was recorded in a caravan is a pretentious bastard.

The band serves up 17 helpings which is a solid number in most necks of the wood. Since the band's motto is Play Fast Or Don't, it should come as no surprise that this one is over mere seconds after the run time hits 15 minutes. It's quite a ride though. As the play list breezes by you get the impression that Joe Pesci could easily play any brand of extreme metal. They play throw-away slam riffs at light speed, crust at ridiculous speed and just to prove they have more than a cuisinart in the engine room, they twist out crossover riffs at ludicrous speed. The better riffs are of course subjective. For my cup of tea take for example the Assuck meets Discoradance Axis riffs in Sticking My Carbon Footprint Up Your Arse and at the end of Funkhouser. Or the wicked death metal riff that appears out of nowhere in the middle of Mindless Zombified Fucks. Not to be outdone, you can have both of those examples in one compact, 51-second helping that is Hyper-Real.

But don't stop there. Call it Fastcore. Call it Powerviolence. Call it as you see it. The whole point of At Our Expense is speed and attitude. Your best bet is to make full use of the 'repeat' button on your media device and go along for the ride. Check Joe Pesci out here, go buy it here or here, and then tell your friends about them while you wait.

Desolate One Interview

After checking out Desolate One's demo (you can read the review for the album here) the idea was sprung for an interview, which works out greatly because I've been listening to Conqueror and Teitanblood nonstop for the past week and am in the mood for more Desolate One. Checking in with us is Desolate One's crux, Nuclear Tormentor, as he handles all instruments and song writing.

-Can you give us a brief history of Desolate One? What got you guys to start making music? Is there anything beyond music that inspires you?

NT:Desolate One was formed (not so much formed as a concept that I started on my own) in 2008. I started making this kind of music because I was fascinated with the fire-spitting sound that is in black metal. Countless hours of listening to classic records made me want to give it a shot. Beyond music, I am inspired by ancient times, the future, occultism, death fascination, and the apocalypse.

-I know you're looking to expand your lineup, how is that going?

NT:Not very well. My area has next to nobody interested in extreme metal. There are a few people who can play and would like to be in Desolate One, just because they are bored. But I would only like to play with people who truly appreciate this music.

-The new tracks sound great, much more chaotic and heavier, can we expect more in this vein and less hardcore/thrash infused stuff like we saw on the S/T? The bass is noticable too, I think that really helps.

NT:Definitely. I think the first demo was a confused recording, though it was great for what it was. I really like the opening instrumental, and a few others like War to the Core (I'd like to redo Possessor's vocals, though). The new demo, "Desecrate the Night", is more of an exploration with the chaotic and crushing sound. I try to make the riffs collide into one another.

-As a band new to the public eye, what have you found most difficult? Do you have any goals in mind as to what you would like to do with Desolate One?

NT:Nothing's been really difficult. I'm not even sure we are in the public eye. Goals? I just hope to make a decent full-length album soon.

-What is the songwriting and recording process like?

NT:I write the songs on guitar. I then record the drums first all the way through while reciting all of the rhythm changes in my head. After that, I record guitar and bass. It's usually months before I actually get our vocalist in and finish the tracks.

-The influences are obvious, so I'll skip that, but what current bands are you listening to now?

NT:Newer releases that are actually decent? Well, I like Revenge, Proclamation, Morbosidad, Teitanblood, bands like that. Been listening to the newest Kraftwerk live album a lot. Beherit's Engram, Profanatica's Profanatitas De Domonatia, the new Pagan Altar albums, and Slayer's World Painted Blood are all great as well, but I still prefer the older material.

-How important is production for a band's release to you?

NT:Production does matter slightly, it demonstrates how the band wants the music to be heard (obviously). Though, production should always take a backseat to composition.

-What's your view on the current USBM scene?

NT:I'm not in contact with very many Californian black metal bands. I have no interest in them.

- Fallen Angel of Doom, INRI, The Oath of Black Blood, Angelcunt, The Return, or In The Sign Of Evil? Why?

NT:Toughest question yet. All of them are great in their own way. Angelcunt is probably my least favorite of the list, but is still a violent classic. The Return and In the Sign of Evil paved the way for extreme music. Probably a tie between INRI, The Return, and Fallen Angel of Doom for that indescribable esoteric aura that surrounds them.

-Any last words?

NT:Pre-order the Desecrate the Night tape, to be released in December on Darkness Shade Records. Fifty copies will be distributed through Darkness Shade with the cemetery fornication cover, the other fifty will be distributed through Thorn Laceration with a different cover. Support weapons, war, and black metal. Embrace the end times.

Both demos, as well as other goodies (check out those awesome Maniac Butcher rereleases) are available at Darkness Shade Records.

Sylvester Staline - split with FUBAR

Sylvester Staline MySpace
FUBAR MySpace
Release: 2009
Type: CD
Label: Bones Brigade

("We smoke this marijuana in your honor, Satan.")

This next band the Chainsaw Justice crew offers for your listening enjoyment comes to you with the 206-grind Stamp Of Approval. The great thing about them is that who they are depends more on your opinion of the genre than on my review. The long version: They Grind too much to be considered Powerviolence and they are far too Punk to be considered Grind. The short version: they are Stoner Punk Grind. Ladies and gentlemen, it is both my extreme pleasure and distinguished honour to present to you: Sylvester Staline. If you like punk, second-wave powerviolence, weed and a healthy slathering of blastbeats then look no further. If you don't then you can leave.

Right. For the adventurous who remained, you are going to love this band. Of the many things I dig about this EP, what stands out the most is the impression that it was all recorded in one take. You know what I'm talking about: an almost-live production, organic drums and a steady dose of feedback. Feedback rings in the EP, it fills the gap between songs and chimes in each channel when ever a guitar pauses. Through its sonic mesh the drummer clicks his sticks four times and another song is born. Of course, there is only one guitarist, so there were at least two sessions required to get the stereo effect. But all the songs "feel" like they were captured live, like the band packed themselves into the same room, pressed "record" and let it rip. Just based on hearing this EP I can safely assume they kick major ass live. All they need is a modicum of stage presence - the songs will do the rest.

The vocals are ejaculated rapidly in that monosyllabic powerviolence style. Think early Magrudergrind meets ManMadePredator era Leng Tch'e. So far as lyrics go, don't worry about the fact that you can only understand four words. Here is a basic primer: smoke weed, and if you don't smoke weed, fuck you. Take "Get Revolutionary" as an example:
Politicians are twats, they don't smoke weed
Police is shit, they don't smoke weed
Get revolutionary, smoke weed.

The riffs follow suit, either keeping pace with the lyrical presentation or taking the two-step approach, covering the full gamut from classic punk licks on to proper grind and all the way to fastcore. The whole set list, from front to back, is focused and energetic. It's music more commonly associated with skating, running from cops after tagging a billboard or trashing a house during a kegger. But for Sylvester Staline, it's the perfect backdrop for a bong session. Yet sadly, it's just an EP. The track list breezes by. There are stand out moments, like the beginning of "Through the Eyes of Weed," the crossover riffing of "Problems in Life," the grinding fury of "Legalize It" and the metallic crust in "Get Revolutionary." These moments are not entirely enough though. For best results I recommend listening to the EP straight through. Repeatedly.

And when you've had your fill of Sylvester Staline, let the disk spin on to track 18. Here begins FUBAR, who offer a nice contrast of style and approach - which is the whole point of splits if you haven't figured out already. Their production is a little murkier but that is essential: they have to make room for three vocal styles and a graduate of the G.C. Green School Of Bass. In 12 songs they cover all the angles of the genre, from classic punk minimalism in "Crawling" to the head-on collision of hardcore and crust in "Not Even You." The staple is loads of deep, distorted, almost out of place but fittingly just right bass. When they want to, FUBAR is as intense as anyone. But they pick and choose their moments, opting to focus their songs around the vocals. In this sense they have an old school approach to song writing. Not verse-chorus-verse but patient. I like it. FUBAR is the type of band who could open for Abscess and if the scene kids were not paying attention they would think Abscess came back and played an encore set.

I enjoyed both bands. They play the same type of music in two distinctly different ways which makes questions of who "won" the split rather meaningless. It's an apples to oranges discussion, like arguing between Exploited and Black Flag. Sure, someone is going to do it, but you know they love both bands and just want to play devil's advocate. You are formally invited to check it out. You are then strongly encouraged to buy it. I've had only good experiences with Bones Brigade. Great people.

Desolate One-Deoslate One

Myspace
Released: 2009
Release Type:Demo. Cassette, lmt. 100.
Label:Darkness Shade Records
Genre: Black/Thrash

Right off the bat you should have some clue as to what Desolate One's up to. The name, I'm pretty certain, is an homage to Blasphemy, and songs like "Black Noise Devastation" and "War to the Core" show this black/war metal affinity. Along with the hand crafted imagery and the format of champions you know you're in for a treat.

Luckily, Desolate One strays from the Blasphemy syndrome ("Fallen Angle of Doom was awesome, let's just try to remake that, right guys!?"). The drums are crisp and organic sounding, right up front. It helps to that the drummer is top-notch. The production reeks of a demo, but that's not really a complaint being that it is a demo afterall. The guitars are crunchy and heavy, yet thin enough to stray from the buzzy affair of Blasphemy and Conqueror. The vocals are raspy, throaty black metal vocals, and thankfully not reverberate deep bellows.

So enough comparisons, how does the music sound? It fucking kicks ass. The first track is a little instrumental ditty that jumps from d-beats, to thrash breaks, to blast beats and whatever else you could think of. Think of it as a sampler for the band. And even a crazy fast-paced thrashy solo. I love it already. The speed up part around the end of "Black Noise Devastation" is fucking awesome as well as the main riff of "War to the Core." The honesty in the music is hard to miss and that's a big plus for me.

There are plenty of riffs to make you thrashtards happy as well as breaks and rhythm shifts to keep the pit alive. The music is a bomb of energy and you're about to be blown up. This recaptures the flame of old school black metal perfectly yet adds a nice thrashy twist to break up all those blast beats.

Be on the look out for this Californian act, as they've hit the nail on the head with this one.


Buy here.

-F

Squash Bowels - Grindvirus

Squash Bowels MySpace
Release: 2009
Type: CD
Label: Willowtip

This is my first experience with Squash Bowels and I came away completely impressed. The thing that amazed is that the songs have virtually no death metal influence. This made no sense, seeing that number one, they were referred to me as goregrind, and number two, their tone is much closer to Inhume than Insect Warfare. Before the first song was over it seemed only natural to expect cross genre elements to invade their music. But it's not the case and I simply could not believe it. I found myself straining my ears to follow the guitars through the heaviest of blasting sections only to end up right where I started: surprised and impressed. There are some gallop riffs in a few spots but the only song with discernible double-picked riffing is "Shit Oneself" and even this is mid-paced and is only featured in the beginning. The rest is all straight up grind, crust and groove riffs topped off with brutal/slam accents. All of which I can only describe in one way: satisfying. If I had to call this anything in particular it would be Brutal Grind.

One of the great things about Grindvirus is how aggressive and energetic each song is despite the riffs being primarily slow to mid-tempo. Most songs are structured around a handful of complementary riffs, often playing verse-chorus-verse with two of them before a bridge or breakdown takes the song in a new direction. Some of the riffs are actually rather simple in their presentation. But it all comes back to their tone. That deep death metal tone adds an extra layer of punch and crunch that makes even the most straightforward riff crackle with energy. It's truly a great reminder that brutality does not always equate to being faster than the next guy.

But the cornerstone of this album is the drumming from Marius. The drumming ties this album together beautifully. Eschewing convention, Grindvirus offers beats and rhythms that are tailored to the music instead of playing what is only specific to the genre. Where many bands would stomp with a half time polka over their groove sections, Marius throws in syncopated breaks with quick kick flourishes - all while maintaining 8th note hats (see "Oust - Odour Eliminator" and "Hamsters In Your Head"). He has lightning quick fills, abuses all his cymbals and can sustain high speed blasts long enough to land a spot Jon Chang's watch list. But to top it all off the man is precise like a metronome.

Some other songs to check out include "D.I." which is available on their MySpace and also on the Willowtip site. This might as well be an instrumental. The vocals consist of some growls tossed in at transition points and a low-end squeel which is nothing more than an extra instrument in the mix. It's also got the most double bass. Great tune. Also check out "Abhorrently Stinking Rich Man" for a good example of how great drumming can make minimalist riffing sound awesome.

You can buy it here. Willowtip still shows it as Pre-Order but it's released, so ignore that. While you are waiting for it to arrive go ahead and give it a listen or twelve here. If for some reason this doesn't do it for you, leave us a comment because we'd like to hear why.