Defeatist - Sixth Extinction

DefeatistSpace
Release - 2010
Type - CD
Label - Willowtip

We all have at least one. That one album, from band X, with three really good songs surrounded by b-side filler. Those are seriously the best songs they ever wrote - yet whenever you want to hear that band you always find yourself reaching for their other CD. Why? Because at the end of the day, it's all about consistency. It's the internet age - if you want to hear those three songs, hit up their MySpace. It's also the instant gratification age and filler is far from gratifying.

Defeatist's latest studio output Sixth Extinction exudes consistency. It also doubles as a Master's thesis in Thinking Man's Grind. There is a steady onslaught of rhythm driven riffs coming at your from song to song - not your typical patchwork 4/4 cookie cutter grind, nor by the numbers death metal riffs strung together seemingly at random. Instead the riffs presented here tend to be longer in duration, well thought out, almost in a progressive fashion. But don't get me wrong - this is not noodling. And the grind staples are in fact present. Standard crust and ripping death metal riffs will show up time and again to trigger your inner head-nod button. They are just not the focal point. In a way, you could almost call this Technical Crust. What ever it is, you will listening to it - and probably learn something if you try to play along.

Between the odd riffs, and changes in tempo ranging from patient sludge to frenetic grind, there is both an illusion of space within the music and also some odd holes and down beats to fill. Enter drummer Joel Stallings. The drum work here is nothing short of phenomenal. With beats, rhythms and cymbal work as eccentric as the riffs themselves, Mr. Stallings comes through with full marks. So many other drummers would have blasted or rolled double base through this album. While we do get plenty of blast, thrash and d-beats, it's actually the rhythms, fills and transitions that help make Sixth Extinction such an exciting album.

Defeatist use a guitar tone and distortion much closer to crossover than death metal, so they have a distinct punk feel to the music. The bass is very low but you can hear it dribbling away at many points throughout the album. So far as production goes the stereo guitars dominate the mix. Behind them is the rhythm section with the vocals taking up all the space that is left. The vocals are shouted out, with some grunts and snarls for emphasis at certain points. If the vocals had a more sizable amount of the bandwidth I'd imagine they would wear on many listeners, but where they are is prefect.

I think this is an album for everyone. It is thinking man's grind, so not everything may get it the first time around. If you are a guitarist or a grind aficionado, pop this in and enjoy the ride. For those who prefer having their asses handed to them as opposed to the more subtle forms of punishment, my recommendation is to play the album once before listening. I like "Dawn of No Light" and also side with Brother Atanamar about the two-riff interlude "Death Holds Her Brood" and "Warning" as some of the better songs. Individual songs however might not be the best way to go on Sixth Extinction - for best results, set aside 27 minutes and listen to the whole thing. Then go buy it here. Get the t-shirt while your at it.

Infanticide - From Our Cold Dead Hands

MySpace
Release: 2010
Type: CD
Label: Willowtip

Dear Emetic Records,

Thank you so very much for not releasing the latest album by Swedish grinders Infanticide. I know your decision must have hit the band pretty hard initially. It might have even caused them, for the Nth time, to question why they ever got together in the first place. But in doing so you also helped further prove the old adage that "Good things come to those who hate." As, instead of waiting around, seething and potentially splitting up - the band, in true DIY fashion, got pissed, took matters into their own hands and found a label willing to distribute what is indeed a must-have album.

Thanks in part to the law of unintended consequences, your decision has single handedly provided the band with the exposure they deserve. Now there is world-wide distribution, which means the album will always be available. Now there is a marketing department with the skill and budget to get the word out. Now there is the potential for a huge tour with some of the best grind acts in the world. And if that was not enough, at the same time you managed to make life for this reviewer ungodly easy. Instead of having to explain (to those not fortunate enough to know) just how Infanticide sounds and what the production is like, I can now sum it all up in one quick hitting sentence fragment: Mastered by Scott Hull and released on Willowtip Recordings.

That's right, kids: Willowtip. And I couldn't think of a better home for "From Our Cold Dead Hands." So what is it? In a nutshell, it's 26 minutes of some of the best D-Beat focused Swedish Crust Grind of the post Nasum era. And if I said the same thing about label mates Afgrund it's because Infanticide play a grittier version of the same game. The foundation is d-beat crust. What they build on this is constantly changing, both in cross genre riffing and tempo. There are 40-second attempts to break the land speed record, two minute mid-tempo excursions and every thing in between.

I am always a "whole is more than the sum of it's parts" guy when it comes to grind albums. But a few songs stand out as being representative. Two-riff wonder "Lifeless." The proto death metal intro of "A Worse Today," accurate right down to the traditional polka beats. The blistering "Shitfaced and Armed to the Teeth" comes to mind with it's one line manta, "I'm Your God Now." The track I enjoyed most the first time I spun the disk was "It Ends Here," featuring an extended thrash intro that leads into trade offs between full-speed ahead grind and classic death metal.

This album is guaranteed to put up a good fight for control of your CD player. But what really excites me is anticipation. Having Infanticide on Willowtip means I get to anticipate a US Tour with other bands releasing albums this year: Maruta and Defeatist. Seriously, send me the fliers. I will blanket Seattle for that one.

You are strongly encouraged to buy the album here (wink, wink). For more good times check out their debut, "Extinction Scheme" (nudge, nudge). And the Sonic Punishment 7" EP is mandatory for anyone who owns a record player (Say. No. More).

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.

Afgrund - Vid Helvetets Grindar

Afgrund Myspace
Release: 2009
Type: CD
Label: Willowtip

On all fronts, even before Scott Hull got his hands on it, Svarta Dagar was a fine album. Any time a band gets mentioned in the same breath as Nasum and Rotten Sound without the "clone" modifier, it's safe to say they've written quality material. For Afgrund the issue instantly boiled down to one simple question: how can they avoid the dreaded Sophomore Slump?

Lucky for us fans, Afgrund seems to have planned ahead. Adopting the Less Is More approach, they slimmed down to a three-piece act, toured just about every where (except my home town) and then wasted little time knocking out one of the better follow-ups in recent memory: Vid Helvetets Grindar. In the process they bucked the mounting three-some trend and kept a bassist on the roster. Which is a good thing. No matter how successful certain bands may be, bass should be an essential part of grindcore, not an accessory.

Grindar is an easy album to sink into. Dual-action guitarist/vocalist Andrea Baier screams his raspy, quasi-decipherable scream to the delight of every throat surgeon in Europe. His riffs consistently deliver across the crust, grind and death metal spectrum. And if that's not enough, over the course of 27 minutes Panu Posti pounds his kit into kindling just like any proper grind drummer should. There is plenty of bass. It's so deep that even when it stands alone it's hard to distinguish the notes. But at least it's there, right?

The first two songs set the tone, acting like engineers braving the crossfire as they set up the siege works for General Afgrund's master plan: A Burning Cross on Your Perfect Lawn. There is no point even trying to describe it. Just give it a listen. Myspace, LastFM, it doesn't matter. This one will earn plenty of airtime. And here you are, not even five minutes into the album before the message is received loud and clear: Afgrund have taken one giant leap forward. Where Svarta established them as an up-and-coming band, Grindar establishes the Afgrund Sound.

A little later comes a pleasant, head-nodder of an interlude: T(h)rash Vortex. True to its name, this is a verse-chorus-verse thrasher with a main riff lifted straight out of the Birdflesh playbook. I imagine the band tossing darts at a wall full of Peace Punk inlay cards when they were writing the lyrics. Add a Burn After Reading sample to open the tune (I thought you might be worried... about the security... of your shit) and you end up with one appropriately named song.

But my favorite, by far, is the blistering Maskin-Manniska. On the surface it's your standard full-steam-ahead grinder. Training your ears a little harder, you hear a fair amount of Gadget-style dissonant harmony. On one channel the guitar double-picks away while on the other the guitar uses mid-paced chords. Both riffs collide to create a third, that, layered with some vicious drumming results in a wall-of-sound that is nearly epic. Between the energy and the punishing drum work you get the sense that the album is building to a finale. And honestly, this would have been the perfect tune to end on.

It doesn't end there. Everything works on Grindar. Compared to Svarta, Afgrund has matured in leaps and bounds in song writing, presentation and passion. That reason alone makes it hard to pass up on. If it wasn't for an album by a certain band from Singapore, Grindar would be at the top of the 2009 Grindcore chart. But you are welcome to decide for yourself. Check it out here. Then buy it. Buy it for yourself. Buy it for your friend. Buy it for that cute metal chick you want to hook up with. Either way, the Good Times, they will flow.