Grindcore – Page 44 – Wonderbox Metal

Infected Society – Get Infected (Review)

Infected Society play a modern form of grind that nonetheless harks back to a golden age of grindcore where grinding was more than just about speed; swagger and attitude counted for something.

This EP is very short but packs a punch. Four original songs that certainly leave their mark on the listener, and two covers. The original songs are catchy and diverse, and recall Groinchurn at their punky, grinding best. No 20-second-wonders here – each track has thought put into it and feels crusty but fresh, ready for the challenges ahead. As a taster for a full length some time in the future this does its job perfectly.

The two covers are by Napalm Death and Pantera. Wearing their influences on their sleeves, Infected Society pay homage to their heroes with honour.

One of the most noticeable things about this release is the energy levels – this is frantic and frenetic stuff. That’s not to say it’s sloppy of course, not at all; the band are obviously extremely enthused about what they’re playing. This comes through in the music and it’s a joy to hear. This is not tired music-by-numbers – this is fresh and exciting.

Very short but very worthwhile. Seems about time now for an album!

Lycanthrophy – Lycanthrophy (Review)

Grindcore! Pure, unadulterated, no-frills grindcore.

The guitars have a very punk/hardcore feeling to most of the riffs and this is just a joy as it almost feels like a band such as Madball have gone all grind – an aural beating but one where you ask for more. The drums are a relentless battering when going all-out, but also know when to hold back and provide a just a back-bone to the music and supply the groove for the punky riffs.

The vocals alternate between shouting (essentially) and screams. Basic but performed well; it fits the music perfectly.

There’s no great mystery or secret to this style of music – you either like it or you don’t. Me? I like grindcore. I especially like grind that’s done well. This is grind that hits the spot perfectly. Simple, stripped-down and rabid. 17 minutes, 20 tracks, perfection.

If you like grind you should get this. It really is that straightforward.

https://myspace.com/lycanthrophy

Exhumer – Degraded by Sepsis (Review)

Italian band Exhumer play brutal Deathgrind, and they play it well. It’s not a very long album, but with this style of music that’s a given. It’s not necessary either; too long and it could outstay its welcome. As it is the running time is just right for the dose of brutality that is dished out here. And brutal it is.

After a perfunctory intro; first track proper “Vapours of Cadaveric Mucilage” sets the scene perfectly. Straight out of the gate they lay their cards on the table and go for the kill. The song blasts out of the gates like a rabid attack dog that knows exactly where all of your weak points lie.

A tendency sometimes for bands such as this can be to go for the ultra-ridiculous pig-noise vocals. Thankfully that isn’t the case here. The vocalist acquits himself nicely, having a nice and satisfying deep growl which is used to great effect across the album. The overall sound is not a cold and clinical one as you may expect either; rather it is warm and pulsing – like you can feel the blood coursing!

It’s not all blast though. They do throw in the odd brief respite from the carnage as well, in the form of “Misery” and “Scent of Decomposition”, and then we’re back to the mayhem once more!

For a short album with short songs the tracks are remarkably well composed. As well as the blasting carnage there are also slower paced parts occasionally, as well as some nice meaty riffs to get sucked in by.

All in all a superior deathgrind release for sure – a lot of bands could learn from Exhumer.

https://www.facebook.com/exhumer.official

http://www.last.fm/music/Exhumer

Misery Index – Retaliate

Retaliate is a quality grind album from 2003 – if you are a fan of intelligent grind then I heartily recommend this.

For fans of Napalm Death/Brutal Truth/Dying Fetus-style grind in the sense that there are actual songs with lyrics that are better than just the usual gore/sex/etc. tirade.

The songs are quite catchy in places, which just reinforces the quality of songwriting available here. Admittedly there is nothing groundbreaking here; but who needs groundbreaking when grind is done so well? I’d take Misery Index over a whole host of lesser “innovative” bands any day.

Check them out –

https://www.facebook.com/MiseryIndex

http://themiseryindex.tumblr.com/

Plague Widow – Plague Widow

Modern Death Grind at its best. Admittedly there is some overly long intro/outro stuff going on, but the actual grind tracks themselves are very satisfying indeed.

Sometimes bands of this ilk can be let down by a poor production or poor vocals, but this is not the case here. A good production with a massive sound adds a pleasing layer of heaviness to the package, and the guttural vocals are those of a seasoned pro, sure to please anyone who enjoys their death grunts nice and deep, without descending into silly pig-squeal territory.

I strongly recommend this release. Enjoy.

Find out more –

https://www.facebook.com/plaguewidow

http://plaguewidow.tumblr.com/