Gridlink – Coronet Juniper (Review)

This is the fourth album from US grindcore band Gridlink.

Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as Discordance Axis, Maruta, No One Knows What the Dead Think, and Phobia, it’s safe to say that Gridlink know a thing or two about grinding. Boasting 19 minutes of furiously technical hostility, Coronet Juniper is a scathingly remarkable listen.

Coronet Juniper is a relentless barrage of aggression and serrated hostility. So far, so grind. What’s sets it apart from its peers though is a balance between an underlying complex chaotic nature, and a surprisingly well-developed sense of melody and atmospheric presence. In other words, Gridlink don’t sound like your standard grindcore band. I’d probably tag them as progressive grindcore, but that’s just me. Regardless, it’s stunning stuff.

Coronet Juniper boasts a range of different styles and influences as part of itself. You can hear bits and pieces from all kinds of places – from melodic black metal to psychedelic rock, as just a couple of examples – all rendered in shades of idiosyncratic grind. Gridlink’s music is grindcore that immediately stands out for its individuality. Honestly, this is a band that sound like themselves.

The music is murderously intense, but Gridlink’s impressive songwriting skills keep things on track. Each song has a personality that’s very well-expressed, especially so given the brevity of the tracks and the style being delivered. It’s rare to hear something so refined and emotive within the grind arena, yet Coronet Juniper is still brutally harsh at the same time. It’s a combination that I find utterly infectious, apparently.

Vicious and virtuoso. Savage and sophisticated. Gridlink embody a duality, one that manifests as savage grind that’s evocative and transportive.

Essential listening.