Horrid Human Condition – Perpetual Imbalance (Review)

This is the debut album from Italian grinders Horrid Human Condition.

Perpetual Imbalance contains 14 songs across 28 minutes. Horrid Human Condition waste little time in unleashing their mix of crust, punk, and grindcore. Only three tracks break the two-minute mark, so you know you’re in for an album of rage and violence.

Horrid Human Condition favour an old-school expression of grinding crusty nastiness, which means that the music has more facets to it than simply aggression. Different speeds and moods are used, with worldbuilding and atmospheric components deployed where relevant to improve the well-rounded nature of the the album. The three-minute opener Prelude to Failure is an obvious example of this, but not the only one.

I like this approach that they take – aggression tethered to songwriting that understands dynamics, structure, and pacing. It makes for an enjoyable collection of tracks. Some lean deeper into the band’s crust roots, while others betray their grind influences more. Most combine both aspects in one way or another, allowing them to deliver songs that benefit from both parent styles.

The well-written songs are simple and effective. They use the minimum resources necessary to make an impact, and are a strong example of a band achieving something greater than the sum of their parts. There’s an energy and an endearing character here that’s not easily come by in many ostensibly similar bands. The riffs, drums, vocals, (and even the oft-neglected bass), all hit the spot, working together to provide us with a good selection of songs to rage along too. The band are not adverse to crafting a decent hook either.

Generally, when listening to Perpetual Imbalance I am reminded of bands such as Cripple Bastards, Brutal Truth, Extreme Noise Terror, and Napalm Death. This is solid, satisfying stuff from Horrid Human Condition. If the sort of bands mentioned here float your boat, then I highly suggest you check out what Horrid Human Condition are up on Perpetual Imbalance.

I have a feeling I’m going to end up liking this more and more over time. This could be this year’s Slug Gore, who thoroughly impressed me last year, (and are coincidentally also from Italy). Perpetual Imbalance has got a certain something that I really like in this sort of music. Make sure you check it out.