This is the third album from Polish grindcore band Ass to Mouth.
It’s been ten years since Ass to Mouth’s last album Degenerate, but unexpectedly they have managed to drag themselves away from whatever foul activities they have been distracted by for the last decade to bring us the fierce and merciless Enemy of the Human Race.
Featuring 14 tracks across 22 minutes, Ass to Mouth are here to GRIIIIIIND. The band know their work well, and it’s great to hear this sort of grind done as well as it is here. Think a mix of Phobia, Nasum, Jig-Ai, Gadget, and Antigama, and you’ll be on the right lines. Ass to Mouth have a different singer for this record, and the vocals are diverse and ferociously delivered. An array of growls, shouts, and screams assault the listener, sounding as if they are coming from about four different people, (but apparently only two – the main singer and the bassist).
The songs are short, tight, and brutal. Packed with grinding mayhem, it takes what it wants from hardcore, punk, and death metal, without saying please. Enemy of the Human Race is belligerent and savage, but not mindless. As aggressive and harsh as this is, there’s also hooks and catchiness to be found. The songs are well-written and easily enjoyable if you have a taste for this sort of brutality. There’s a decent amount of variety in the tracks, with the band varying their assault and allowing different facets of their sound to shine through in different places – different influences, paces, riffs, ideas, etc.
This is a great album. It’s prime time grindcore played with modern fury, and I can’t get enough of it. Who knew the return of Ass to Mouth would be so explosive? Enemy of the Human Race is a feast of grinding aggression, and Ass to Mouth sound better than ever.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 