Hivesmasher - Gutter Choir | Review

“Gutter Choir”, the second and latest full-length from Massachusetts grinders Hivesmasher, deserves a warning label: "Not recommended for those with cardiovascular problems". I mean, this is a ridiculously intense, punishing and exciting record from the start to the very end as this six-piece group offers us a pissed off, crushing grindcore laced with some technical twists throughout most of the album. It’s guaranteed that some of these tracks will make your arterial pressure go skyward.

Raging away at breakneck speeds, Hivesmasher blend some piercing grindcore along with some heavy death metal, all with technical precision and mind-numbing arrangements. Both “The Shit Waltz” and “And They Thought We’d Forget” sound like a grind version of the most hyper-energetic side of Dillinger Escape Plan.

Occasionally, the sextet makes use of synthesizers and samples to create a more experimental, sinister sound as in tracks like “Lust in Creation's Wake” and “Send Me to Satan”, which adds more diversity to the whole experience.

One of the better grindcore releases to come out this year, here’s hoping “Gutter Choir” gets the recognition it deserves. (8)

Band info: www.hivesmasher.com
Label info: www.blackmarketactivities.com