It doesn't take a rocket scientist to surmise that Feculent are going to 'bring the filth'. In fact, their name (translated as "foul with impurities") and the crimson mire landscape album art points with a blazing neon sign to such. Though it remains to be heard exactly how the band will go about tackling the premise. Obviously, the name nods to a wide spectrum of styles within the extreme genre. Is this therefore goregrind, pornogrind, brutal death, audio bursting at the seams with pig squeals or something which bears a decidedly more menacing tone?

It doesn’t take long to answer the mystery. Seething with ill-intent, the album commences with a wallop, gripping the ankles of the listener to yank them from their relaxed, unsuspecting, stance towards the dirt.

Grandiose, yet utterly brutal, rhythms in a style akin to Immolation assault the listener, an unhurried yet merciless barbed wire wrapped around Neanderthal club attack, complemented by a tone which might suggest the bands origin; swampland? Perhaps Florida or Louisiana? Guess again. Feculent, ironically, are from a location which the music continues to strongly evoke. I only wonder; is it preposterous to use The Underworld and 'Down Under' as similar terms?

As the album progresses it compounds the archaic, long forgotten, imagery which the first track had successfully conjured. "Host Consumed" bears a bludgeoning motif whose intent goes hand in hand with the low growled vocal accompaniment which especially recalls Tucker-era Morbid Angel. An exquisite track caressing the pleasure sensors. But I have a feeling the album isn't through just yet!

An unmerciful rumble approach, the bending string tendencies of vintage Gorguts and occasional cascading BM riffs result in the undeniable enjoyment and irrefutable replayability of "Weaponization of the Amygdala". It isn't, however, until "A Pit of Unshakable Depths” and "Beneath the Bedlam" (both stunning standouts within an album of especial note) that another strong influence becomes slap-one-in-the-face pungent. This element? The grand malevolence which genre giants Incantation have so painstakingly trademarked in their unwavering dedication to both the genre and their craft. This palpable aura is only cemented by the suffocating, harrowing, nature (the album's final track) "The Grotesque Arena; A Perverse Spectacle" provides. In essence a stellar second half to round out an album which speaks tremendous volumes no matter its frustratingly short length.

Familiar though also meticulously crafted and nuanced Feculent offer six tracks bursting with sufficient weight and genre chops to sate those whose OSDM yearnings have become ravenous as of late.

Based on the caliber exhibited herein one should expect the bands moniker to become part of the cavernous, OSDM, death/doom lexicon in record time.(8.8/10)

Cult

Band info: https://www.facebook.com/Feculent
Label info: https://brilliantemperor.bigcartel.com


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No pretentious narrative-seeking introduction can precede a record like Interstice. The debut record from Tennessee’ newest experimental deathgrind outfit Knoll has its share of existential ponderings in the lyric department, but executes musically as a caustic, rabid twelve-track juggernaut with minimal nonsense. The Memphis underground just got a hell of a lot heavier.

A snarling blend of thundering grindcore, dirty cavern death and noxious noise, Interstice is at once straightforward and unusual. It advances with a serrated knife edge and cuts to the bone just as quickly, hissing through four furious tracks within five or six minutes. The vocals are the most immediately grabbing, a rapid dance between bulky gutturals and some of the most piercing shrieks in contemporary metal. The guitars are a happy balance between dissonant fingerwork and frill-less stompers while the drums pound away tirelessly. The bass work falls through the cracks both in terms of the mix and songcraft somewhat, unfortunately not an uncommon feature of extreme metal. Between the vocals and some of the more pummeling riffs, Venom Prison arise as an easy comparison but Knoll invest more into high tempo blasts and discordant riffing than Venom Prison’s fare.

That’s not to say that Knoll are stuck in one gear the whole time. ‘Grasp’ comes along quickly with a dual guitar harmony that intentionally clashes one against the other melodically to lead into a hellish progression of low tempo chaos. ‘Door To Moil’ and ‘Myr’ are feedback-soaked experimentations into power electronics while ‘Inherent of Life’ settles into a sludgy groove for most of its runtime. But ultimately Interstice tends to stick to fast tempos and pure, unfiltered fury throughout its short length.

Knoll seem to know what they’re about on their debut. There’s experimentation and variety, but not an over-investment into either. They’re certainly not the finished picture, but this kind of confident delivery meeting head-on with great, dynamic songwriting so early on means it’s likely to be a great one when it is.(8/10)

Brett Tharp

Band info: www.facebook.com/KnollVHS

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When faced with an album cover such as this the mind spins. The bands moniker brings to mind a vicious scene from a Salvador Dali 'feature' from the 30's (yes, the 30's!) much like the film the imagery here is stark and powerful with a slew of collaged pictures which are immediately recognizable; themes of war, poverty and beauty stand out and the intrigue only grows. Based on prior experience one might assume this to encapsulate audio of a style likened to Napalm Death, Insect Warfare or Terrorizer.

There's one way to know for certain.

Plucked from the void the style makes an instant impression. And the assumption is somewhat on point; this is bathed in Grindcore values. Featured early on "Stabbing Spiders" runs a whopping forty-seven seconds.

However, there's something else in the mix, another element which results in the audio bearing a jagged, blunt and undeniably abrasive aura with abrupt stylistic breaks (Is this the definition of Mathcore?) "Martyrs", the first track, being the earliest of indicators that this isn’t going to be an album easily defined within traditional genre boundaries.

Unpredictability is the word of the day here, as well "grueling" as this is quite the strenuous workout for the ears, especially those not familiar with the aforementioned ‘style’. Suffice it to mention that those wishing for mere chuggery, speed for the sake of speed and melody will be invited to dig deeper (as this album smothers the senses), this contains all of this though showcased in frenetic amorphous bursts as well enticing calmer passages opening the door for a myriad of other emotions to flood the psyche.

To state “Mirrors” contains complex arrangements and that the musicians involved are insanely talented is much like stating that the sky is up. Some elements, however, are less than blatantly obvious. For instance, it's difficult to decipher that Pupil Slicer are from the UK; growls, bellows and the angst dripping vocal assault boasts zero accent. More surprising still is the fact that the throat responsible belongs to Kate (Davies) whose talent is an undeniable and unprecedented force of nature (vocal gymnastics within "Collective Unconscious" will make one an instant believer) made even more impressive still by the fact that she also handles guitar duties. Shocking, is that Pupil Slicer is a three piece (outfit), as there's enough turmoil and intricate unforeseen meanderings draped in masterfully-controlled chaos in these arrangements for five.

Obviously, “Mirrors” will warrant several spins to fully digest and thoughts will tumble as to where influence derives as it does so. But when it clicks, it clicks!

As a debut this predicts a brilliant future which Prosthetic should be extremely proud of signing. Now if only this damnable Covid thing would dissipate in order that the ferocity of the band’s talent and raging wildfire on stage presence can be fully experienced. (8.1/10)

Cult

Band info: www.facebook.com/pupilslicer

 

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Corrupt Moral Altar first full-length effort “Mechanical Tides” sees the British four-piece distancing themselves from the more frantic, grind-influenced direction of their previous EP “Whiskey Sierra” to favour a more catchy, sludgy groove that surprisingly makes the whole release sound a bit more fresh and captivating.

Anyway, if it was the chaotic and grindy nature of “Whiskey Sierra” that first lured you towards Corrupt Moral Altar then, there are strong chances that you’ll be slightly disappointed with this new release. Not saying that they have gone all soft and sweet on us nope, they still sound pissed-off and angry, but instead of trying to rip your head from the torso they sound more controlled and tempered and just want to give you let’s say, a serious spanking. Nothing fatal.

They kick things off with “Father Tongue”, a relentless and heavy tune that pretty much follows-up the formula explored on their previous work, but from there on the material ranges from an aggressive, straightforward hardcore punch to a partially abrasive, partially bluesy sludge and some post-rock atmospherics. Second track “Blood Harmony” shows the band motivated to utilize a few nuances that we don’t often hear on a sludge/grind release, like some introspective post-metal melodies. Same for “Admit Defeat”, a trippy, melancholic tune that features the melodic singing of Mitch Harris from Napalm Death.

There's a touch of everything to be found in here, yet surprisingly there's a compelling coherence to all this disparate convergence of sounds. Solid stuff from a promising band that reveals a total disregard for rules or conventions!

Band info: www.facebook.com/CorruptMoralAltar
Label info: www.season-of-mist.com

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Three years following the release of Darker Handcraft, crust/hardcore/grind outfit Trap Them emerge with a new album and an entirely new rhythmic section with Brad Fickeisen, formerly of The Red Chord on drums and Galen Baudhuin (Infera Bruo) on bass.

On Blissfucker, the four-piece have peppered their chaotic combination of grind, crust, metal and hardcore with some of the slowest and catchiest riffs they’ve ever written, but that’s not to say that Trap Them have softened their sound. On the contrary, right off the bat opening song “Salted Crypts” sends out a very clear message to the listener that this is not going to be pretty. Rightly so, Blissfucker is filled with the band's iconic Entombed-influenced crusty hardcore and is just as heavy as previous efforts. But while Darker Handcraft rage forward at full blast its entire run time, on this new work they've found a way to balance all the relentless blast-beats, all the vicious and cacophonous guitar-work with some crushing hooks and catchy tempos without compromising the intensity of their attack. Mid-paced bangers like “Gift and Gift Unsteady” and “Sanitations” offer some reprieve from the utter cacophony displayed by clamorous tracks such as “Lungrunners” and “Former Lining Wide the Walls”. This works really well and gives each song a more distinct character, which is no easy task when we’re talking about grind/crust releases.

The record also contains quite possibly the darkest, creepiest song Trap Them ever written to date, I’m talking about “Ransom Risen”, which starts slowly with some eerie guitar melodies but suddenly bursts into a boisterous blend of frantic drum beats, ferocious riffs and anguished roars.

Even though, Blissfucker is a bit different and more sophisticated than previous works, I’m positive that fans will be truly impressed with the record’s cohesion and energy.

Band info: www.facebook.com/TrapThem
Label info: www.prostheticrecords.com

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All Hail the Void was a promising release for Enabler in 2012. The Milwaukee, WI (now Ohio, in general, no specific city listed) band sought a name for themselves by fusing elements of metallic hardcore with groove-laden rock and roll. The album was a solid release that showcased excellent riffage, badass drumming and solid structure. Two years later, enter their latest full length La Fin Absolue Du Monde. Translated: the absolute end of the world.

When I think in apocalyptic visions, Enabler's latest offer isn't quite something I have in mind. Calvaiire's “Meurtrières” is a song that always sounded more like a world collapse. Though “Prey” gives it a run for its money. Anyway, La Fin Absolue Du Monde is an album that sticks with its sound and solidifies the grounds that the band built themselves upon.

La Fin Absolue Du Monde sounds more focused than All Hail the Void. Just about every aspect of the band has significantly improved. Jeffrey Lohrber's guitar riffage is absolutely haywire. Tracks like “Balance of Terror” and “Neglect” are chock full of hooks and groove through the speakers. Other pieces like “World Sterilization” - bringing the heavy with crunchy, rough riffs, and the aforementioned “Prey” are faster pieces that blast with vitriol. Songs are consistently interesting and seldom feel like they're taking up too much time or falling flat.

What I find most strange with this album is how incredibly easy it is to digest, and perhaps that's what didn't sit too well with me at first. I'll admit, when I first listened to this, I was not a huge fan. However, the more I listened to it, the more it began to sink in. I can see why someone would be put off by the approach but I can also see why someone would dig it. La Fin Absolue Du Monde has an exceptional rock and roll angle to it but it services the album very well in the end. To those who might have a difficult time getting into that, I say stick with it. The more I listened to this, the more it picked up steam.

Overall, the new Enabler is a good album but it's not the end of the world, despite its title. I don't know how many more spins I'll give it before the year is out but it has some great song writing and some amazing riffage/drumming. Enabler manages to be one of the more stand out metallic/hardcore bands out there though I'd say their best is yet to come. If you like bands like Tragedy or From Ashes Rise and wish they had a larger rock and roll edge to them, then La Fin Absolue Du Monde is going to be right up your alley.

Christopher Luedtke

Band info: www.facebook.com/enablerband
Label info: www.thecompoundrecs.com

Chris is a film reviewer for Examiner.com (good luck finding his work there) and journalist for Metal Injection (better luck finding his work there). In his spare time he video blogs and promises a second installment of the Guilty Gear Retrospective on YouTube under theOfficialChris. He also writes novels, applies for jobs, attempts to write music, eats cheap food, drinks lots of coffee, enjoys opera, worships grind, and works. He can be found posting songs and bitching about the awful V/H/S film franchise on Twitter: @CoffeeCupReview.

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Recently signed to Relapse Records, Italy’s Cripple Bastards have been dishing out their form of abrasive and punishing grindcore since 1988, and no one can ever accuse them of succumbing to trends or making drastic experiments since then. So it’s no surprise that Nero In Metastasi is ruthlessly heavy and brutal from start to finish, encompassing virtually everything a grindcore fan could hope for or expect; unrelenting savagery, raging riffs, barbaric growls and ear-piercing screams.

Clocking in at a lengthy 37 minutes (for a grind album at least), there is literally no time to breathe, as the band simply pummels and plows throughout 18 songs with no respite and even less remorse. The album explodes with “Malato Terminale", a boisterous track that is delivered with intense savagery, but still manages to be extremely catchy due to some straightforward riffing. From there on, things only get more threatening and vile, with each tune being loaded with a furious hatred, yet surprisingly Nero In Metastasi never gets tiresome as Cripple Bastards aren’t afraid to slow down a bit on some occasions and dust off some thrash-influenced riffs that work really well in adding more diversity to their sound.

Careful on this one, because it scraps and stings with the most hostile intentions.

Band info: www.cripple-bastards.com
Label info: www.relapse.com

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The self-proclaimed “Hatebreed for wimps” act Weekend Nachos are at it again with another release on the Upper Darby, Pennsylvania record label, Relapse Records. This newest effort, titled Still, is the same ‘ole powerviolence/grind/hardcore amalgamation everyone expects from the Chicago outfit.

Powerviolence isn’t a sub-genre of hardcore that lends itself to creativity and invention (unless the band being spoken of is Man is the Bastard), but there’s a lot that Weekend Nachos does right, and perhaps better than their contemporaries. There’s a vast range of influence that comes through on all of their albums -- Still is no different. Weekend Nachos utilizes a vast range of influences, from hardcore acts like Youth of Today and Haymaker to powerviolence acts like No Comment and Crossed Out. They’re not just a powerviolence band, however; the Bleed E.P. made certain of that. But the influence does come through in spades on Still, right from the get-go. “Suffer No More” lasts only forty-four seconds, but switches between powerviolence and hardcore, ending with a two-step part that just straight-up grooves. “No Idols and No Heroes” is some old-fashioned beatdown hardcore; it’s the kind of track that would open up the pit and send everyone into a frenzy.

It’s one of the strongest parts of Weekend Nachos’ sound. They have mastered “negative hardcore”. There’s a few acts that play in a similar vein (UK’s Gets Worse is a prime example), but none do it better than Chicago’s finest. Still contains tracks that are sincerely aggressive; “S.C.A.B.”, “Satan Sucker”, “You’re Not Punk”, and “Ignore”. “Watch You Suffer” is a brilliant mix of hardcore and sludge metal; like most of Weekend Nachos’ tracks, it is merciless in its delivery and assaults the listener directly, like good hardcore should do.

Weekend Nachos switches their sound up on each album, and each album is unique. Of course, there will be people who prefer Worthless to Still, and others who prefer Punish and Destroy to Unforgivable, but the takeaway should be that the band constantly improves upon itself, and pours everything they have into every album. Still punishes the listener with powerviolence, sludge, and even drone, showcasing the creative exploits of the band while retaining unearthly levels of vitriol and negativity. The blend of hardcore and its sub-genres with influences from the heaviest of heavy metal works so well -- quite possibly better than on albums like Worthless. Sure, that album is great, but Still is an album in the Weekend Nachos discography that should be praised, even heralded as one of the finest works the band has ever produced.

Bill Haff

Band info: www.facebook.com/weekendxnachos
Label info: www.relapse.com

Editor-in-Chief at Scratch the Surface, Bill Haff is a Philadelphia-based music critic who also contributes for Cvlt Nation, Metal Injection and Ghost Cult. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_haff

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Circle Takes the Square - Decompositions: Volume Number One

Savannah-based Circle Takes the Square impressed the heck out of me when I saw them opening up for Kylesa early last year on their European tour.
Now, the band returns with their first full-length album in eight years, following an EP entitled ‘Decompositions: Volume Number One, Chapter I: Rites of Initiation’ released in 2011, and just like their previous full-length 'As the Roots Undo', this new effort features an eclectic bag of sounds and moods, veering from an intense and raucous combination of noise, hardcore and grind to lulling ambiences and folky tunes. 'Decompositions: Volume Number One' will take you to a number of places, equally evocative and off-putting, challenging and intriguing, and although it’s not without its faults it’s a good, solid effort from a band that sounds like no one else. That obviously means something! (7.2/10)

Band info: www.circletakesthesquare.com

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Age of Woe - Inhumanform

Armed with a crushing style of death-influenced hardcore, similar to Entombed and to a lesser extent Converge coupled with the monolithic sludge of Neurosis, Age of Woe’s “Inhumanform” is a surprising release that shows a lot of promise for a band that formed only three years ago. The band wastes no time on subtitles and kick things off with the incredible “Like Embers”, which boasts some heavy and crunchy monolithic riffs braced by bulky, powerful drums, while some grabbing guitar melodies play throughout the quiet moments. In tracks such as “The King of Thieves” they pound out a two-step hardcore with a consistent fury sounding a bit like their infamous comrades Disfear. Good stuff! (7.5/10)

Band info: www.ageofwoe.net

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Okus - Okus

Okus? Sounds like the name of an orc from Lords of The Rings doesn’t it? Well, it’s not! It’s actually the name of a grind/crust combo from Ireland, but sonically they’re just as vile and fearful as those vicious creatures from JR Tolkien novels.
Okus combine elements of grind, punk, crust and doom to offer up a raw, powerful and sometimes intimidating sound that assaults our senses in a Entombed-meets-Napalm Death way. With 7 tracks running through nearly 32 minutes, “Okus” is lean and vicious and sees the four-piece excelling at layering different sounds and rhythms, switching easily between relentless, powerful blast beats to sludgy, caustic grooves. Nasty stuff! (7.8/10)

Band info: www.facebook.com/Okusband  
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Just a week before embarking on a new European trek along with Circle Takes the Square and Code Orange Kids, crust-grinders Full of Hell have decided to give away their second LP ‘Rudiments Of Mutilation’ as free download during this week only! From today through next Monday, July 22nd fans can download the entire album via the A389 label Bandcamp right here.

The band also recently released their first official video, created for the track “The Lord Is My Light” by their cohort, director Lukas Hodge; check it out below.

Full Of Hell European Tour with Circle Takes the Square, Code Orange Kids:

7/24/2013 O13 - Tilburg, Netherlands
7/25/2013 Hafenklang - Hamburg, Germany
7/26/2013 Fluff Fest - Rockycany , Czech Republic
7/27/2013 Vlamrock - As, Belgium
7/28/2013 Glazart - Paris, France
7/29/2013 The Haunt - Brighton, England
7/30/2013 Underworld - London, England
7/31/2013 Classic Grand - Glasgow, Scotland
8/01/2013 Star and Garter - Manchester, England
8/02/2013 Star and Garter - Bristol, UK
8/03/2013 New Noise Festival - Karlsruhe, Germany
8/04/2013 JZ Riot - Lichtenstein, Germany
8/05/2013 Aera - Wien, Austria
8/06/2013 Cassiopeia - Berlin, Germany
8/07/2013 AJZ - Bielefeld, Germany
8/08/2013 Underground - Köln, Germany
8/09/2013 Ieperfest - Ieper, Belgium

Photo by Freddie Ross.


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It's been a little over six months since The Secret’s fourth album “Agnus Dei” was highly praised in these pages for its chaotic, noisy and abrasive concoction of punk-crust fury and black metal nihilism. Now the Italian four-piece have released a new video for “May God Damn All Of Us” from that record, which was directed/edited by Rasmus G. Sejersen. Check it out below.


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If you’re already familiar with Swiss grinders Mumakil, you know exactly what to expect from them, an extremely chaotic and relentless dose of grindcore. Their newest effort “Flies Will Starve” sounds pretty nasty and catchy on some occasions, but for the most part the music slips into this huge pile of indiscernible and boisterous noise that’s hard to recognise where exactly one song ends and another one starts.
I was massively into their previous work “Behold the Failure”, but sadly Mumakil offer nothing here to prompt you to choose this new work over said album. “Flies Will Starve” possesses neither the raw energy nor the dynamics of “Behold the Failure” and bare a few notable exceptions like “Built of Lies”, “Wrong Turn” and “Blind Disciples”, the songs fly by without leaving a lasting impression. Instead, you’ll get some formulaic and bland riffs that sound way too calculated to grasp the interest from fans of a more inventive brand of grindcore à la Napalm Death or Nasum.
I do reckon that it’s extremely difficult to come up with some truly challenging in the realm of grindcore, but that’s not an excuse for the little disappointment that is “Flies Will Starve”. There’s just a paucity of high class killer riffs here to make this more than a simply okay and solid grindcore release.

Band info: www.facebook.com/Mumakil
Label info: www.relapse.com
 

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It is my distinct pleasure to present to you another pleasant or better yet unpleasant crust/grindcore surprise. Grind aficionados and admirers of all things raw, rotten and vile please meet Utopium, a young collective from Portugal who play a straight-up, dirty and crusty grindcore. They’re not exactly newcomers to the metal world as the five members of Utopium have all paid their dues in a slew of hardcore, punk and metal bands before getting this new project together. So it’s no wonder that with all the experience gained in those bands you've got one skilful line-up who know exactly what they're doing. Indeed, over slightly 23 minutes Utopium churn out an unrelentingly fast, brutal and chaotic crusty grindcore with the same skill and intensity of heavyweights like Nasum and Rotten Sound. It is violent and threatening music full of chaotic riffs and blastbeats created with the intent to pummel your eardrums until they spurt blood. One of the most positive characteristics of “Vicious Consolation / Virtuous Totality” is the amount of variation the group exhibit throughout these 18 tracks, from the chainsaw riff carnage à la Entombed explored in tracks like "Held Tombstone" and "Owner of a Kept Abidance" to the relentless grind onslaught of tracks like “Jaded Graft” and "Thin-Skinned Skill", there’s never a dull moment to be found here.
This is one of the better grindcore releases to come out in a while, sure it doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but then again, when it’s this good does it matter?

Band info: www.facebook.com/utopiumgrind
Label info: www.bleakrecordings.com

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Sometimes you look at a band and you just know they’re going to hit you hard and fast, and California’s Nails are exactly one of those bands. Their second album “Unsilent Death” released two years ago, offered us a violent concoction of grind, crust, hardcore and metal in just fourteen minutes. This one doesn’t mess around either. Clocking at a mere eighteen minutes, “Abandon All Life” gets in, beats you hard, and gets out just before you know what hit you.
Nails waste no time and get straight to the point with opener "In Exodus", which displays blindingly fast, crusty guitars and throat-shredding vocals. I’m actually a bit worried about vocalist Todd Jones, because anyone who thrashes their voice like he does would need a lifetime supply of throat syrups or in the worst case surgery. Most of the songs fly fast with the explosive power of a high-caliber bullet, only “Wide Open Wound” and final track “Suum Cuide” show the band ease off on the gas pedal and slow down a bit to churn some crushing, mid-tempo riffs.
This is one of the nastiest and heaviest slabs of extreme music you are likely to hear this year. But then, I guess you weren’t expecting any subtleties with an album title like that, were you? 

Band info: www.unsilentdeath.com
Label info: www.southernlord.com

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Hailing from Texas, PLF (I honestly don’t know what it stands for) abide by the unwritten law venerated in grind of “fast, brutal and short”.
True to the genre’s most religious guidelines and clocking in at an intensely abrupt 17 minutes, "Devious Persecution and Wholesale Slaughter" is an unapologetic, ravenous and relentless grindcore attack that will surely appeal to fans of Napalm Death, Terrorizer and Phobia. This album offers forth all the crusty and severe sonic chaos that diehard grind maniacs crave, and when the straight-ahead grindcore gets a bit tiresome, the band pulls off some catchy and furious thrash riffs that cast an 80’s Bay Area influence. The band's power and execution is impressive, drummer Bryan Fajardo offers a particularly impressive performance here; those who know his work from Phobia, Kill the Client and Noisear will certainly not be disappointed.
Tell all your grind friends about PLF, this band is way too good to be kept a secret.

Band info: www.facebook.com/PLF
Label info: www.sixweeksrecords.com

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Before they start focusing on the successor of their acclaimed seventh album “Cursed” and just a few days before embarking on a new European tour with Martyrdöd and Enabler, Finnish grinders Rotten Sound release a new EP entitled "Species at War" to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
Consisting of six tracks that last just over a brief eight minutes, this new effort is no different than what Rotten Sound have offered us in past works, that’s a ridiculously intense, fast and heavy grind. Get ready to suffer a mighty beating for "Species at War" is the equivalent of being inside the octagon (that’s a ring for none UFC aficionados) for two rounds, constantly undergoing some punishing and severe blows.
“Cause” opens the hostilities with relentless blastbeats, a fast and violently intense riffing and Keijo Niinimaa’s caveman growls, while the next track “The Game” sees the band adding more of that slower Swedish death metal groove to the forefront, taming their rabid grind into a catchier, more memorable beast. Both “The Solution” and “Salvation” recapture that crunchy Swedish death metal sound, sounding like Entombed on amphetamines. Then, there’s the ironically titled “Peace” at the finale, which sounds anything but peaceful with Rotten Sound playing a furious grind set for maximum destruction.
Needleless to say that “Species At War” is a valuable addition to the collection of any grindcore fan. 

Band info: www.rottensound.com
Label info:  www.season-of-mist.com

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I could not let this year end without writing a few words about one of my favorite records issued in 2012. Besides having a great title, “No Absolutes in Human Suffering” by Utah’s grinders Gaza is one of the most intense and violent musical experiences that I have had the pleasure of listening this year. I mean, it’s so downright nasty that it puts most of the current crop of hardcore/grind bands that are trying to sound extreme to shame.

“No Absolutes in Human Suffering” is Gaza’s third offering and mines the same territory that acts like Coalesce, Deadguy and Botch have made popular, but with a more grindy edge, which makes the whole experience even more punishing. Their fine blend of noisy grind and challenging hardcore is ridiculously powerful and energetic, but no less mesmerising. Songs like “This We Celebrate” and “When They Beg” can be as complexly heavy as catchy, with the band playing some memorable melodies between angry and twisted riffs.

“No Absolutes…” is an outstanding album and you can be assured that only bigger things are to come from these talented fellows.

Band info: www.gazamusic.net
Label info: www.blackmarketactivities.com

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“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

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Last year when Beaten to Death released their acclaimed debut album, “Xes and Strokes”, they were accused by some publications of being hipsters, or in other words, of not playing an authentic grindcore style. The truth is that the Norwegians never really tried to be another one of those numerous grind projects out there who religiously copy the formula Napalm Death created more than thirty years ago. There’s nothing wrong with a good, straight-up grind record, but Beaten To Death certainly bended and twisted the rules of engagement by incorporating some big grooves and catchy melodies alongside their ferocious grindcore. With incredible results, I must add. 
“At Rockefeller” is actually a live recording, captured this year in Oslo, when the band opened for Killswitch Engage. Despite being a live recording, this release underlines their fresh and irreverent take on grind, with the band performing all the songs from their debut effort plus, some new and unreleased songs with sharp precision and wild intensity. Whether they’re playing blindingly fast and, well a bit slower, the band’s energy is consistent and never falters, drummer Christian "Bartender (also with Tsjuder) sounds like a powerhouse, bashing the skins with frenetic vehemence, while the frenzied guitar work of Martin and Tommy (both from technical metallers Insense) resonates with a killer intensity and a surprising catchiness.
If you’re a fan of off kilter and frantic grind then, “At Rockefeller” is definitely a live album worth owning. (8)

Band info: www.beatentodeath.net

Label info: www.facebook.com/maskinarecordings

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Before getting very far into this review, let me state one thing: I absolutely love horror in all forms of entertainment. I love horror books, I love horror films, I love horror games and I love death and black metal. I also don’t mind the horror that has some gore in it: I enjoyed the movie Saw, I like Richard Laymon's novels and I've listened to Cannibal Corpse a few times. Now, gore for gore's sake however I'm not into. I see no point to it and have no idea how people get into it.

Why am I bringing up gore and horror? Because Kraanium is one of those "cutting edge" bands whose whole focus is on gore and gross outs. Now, like I said gore in context and moderation is fine but when your album is titled "Post Mortal Coital Fixation" and your songs are called such family friendly names as "Orgy of Cannibalistic Fornication", I'm sorry but I just can't take you seriously. I also feel kind of embarrassed that I may have to explain to my wife why a song called "Bursting Rectal Sores" landed on my Last.Fm profile.

Now, I could take the embarrassment and even put up with names such as the above and other songs like "Crack Whore Pounding" if the music was good (c'mon guys! Fucking "Crack Whore Pounding"???), but unfortunately it's not. This is generic death metal with fucking pig squealing as vocals half the time!

Avoid this please. I personally have no interest in listening to an album with the song "Slurping Vaginal Pus" on it. I kept thinking this album must be some kind of joke, but sadly I’m afraid it's not. (2) 

Curt 

Band info: www.facebook.com/kraaniumslam 

Label info: www.comatosemusic.com

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