Fistfuck - Rock'n'Roll Nightmare

Fistfuck MySpace
Release: 2009
Label: D71 Records
Release Type: Full-Length

French-Canadians Fistfuck have have an intentionally raw, old-school feel. The best way I can describe them is as a thrash band with a crust fetish and an affinity for blastbeats. Musically, their tone, and a good part of their approach, is virtually a cleaner, better-produced facsimile of Napalm Death's from the Mentally Murdered EP. Put all of this in perspective and you have to ask: why are they labeled Death/Grind? Some of their riffs are characteristically of a death metal persuasion, but for the most part, they not only have other intentions, they lack the death metal tone. Seems like a cop-out; like someone heard the growled, rasped and squealed vocals and said, "heck with it - Thrashing Crusty Grindcore is too much to type." Then again, this is their last album so it's a moot point, innit?

For Rock'n'Roll Nightmare the band was nice enough to dole out 10 new tracks, a new vocal mix for one of the better tunes on their previous album (7% Grind) and two covers. All totaled, that is a 13-song eulogy spanning a little over 31 minutes. The Disrupt cover, "La Dis" and “Crocko II” contain the most amount of consistent grind, hands down - albeit on the crusty/powerviolence side and primarily D-Beat. The rest of the track list offers a surely entertaining if not entirely original metal experience. It is called Rock’n’Roll nightmare, after all - anyone requiring originality deserves disappointment. What should be expected is a fun, thrash filled half-hour, preferably spent with your drink of choice in hand – and maybe a little head banging as well, if you should be so inclined or the passion take you.

For fans of and/or people who heard their previous albums, one of the major changes here is that the very long (and if you don't speak French, often pointless) samples are held off until the final minute. Literally. There are samples before and after a few songs but they are short and sweet, and in most cases, completely appropriate, if not completely traditional. The prime example is "Crocko II," which refers us right back to the album cover. Here we get a soundbite of Mean Gene interviewing Randy Savage before slamming into some Fistfuck goodness:

Mean Gene: "First of all, what happened tonight? Ultimate Warrior..."
Savage: "What happened tonight was already written, Hulk Hogan - It Was Written A Long Time Ago!"

Pretention, obviously, is not in Fistfuck's lexicon.

Fans of the olden days will readily enjoy this album, but I imagine it will be an "acquired taste" thing for modern grind fans. More than usual, it really depends on how it clicks with your musical background. I recommend at least hearing it once because variety is important, and you never know - just do yourself a favor and have an open mind. Fans of thrash who are fine with blast beats have no business avoiding this one.

Check out their MySpace or LastFM. Or you can just buy it. Before I go, I might as well plug it again: Listen to "Crocko II."