Blight Worms / Retortion Terror / Gendo Ikari - Formless Utopia Eternal (split 2020)

Formless Utopia Eternal is a grindcore split that's hard to beat, with not two excellent bands, but three! Blight Worms / Retortion Terror / Gendo Ikari. Blight Worms is old school grind, Retortion Terror is very fast grind with Matsubara on guitar, and Gendo Ikari is really heavy and powerful grind. Each band provides five tracks, and it's good from beginning to end. Also, it marks the return of the Grindcore Karaoke Label. If you're into grindcore you've already understood that this one's a mandatory listen...

 

The BC page. 

 

2017 : my grindcore list

I'll later give a general list but as is the tradition for Blasting Days I'm doing a specific list for the grindcore (and closely related stuff) releases that I enjoyed the most this year. As I'm not fond of giving ranks I'm giving it in alphabetical order (with link to my review just aside on the right, where you'll also find the links to the Bandcamp pages).

Anthropic - Anthropic EP the review

Birdflesh / Organ Dealer - split  the review

Blame God - Strategically Confined  the review

Chepang - Dadhelo    the review 

D.E.R - Rancor    the review

Expulsion - Nightmare Future   the review

GALL - EP     the review

Gendo Ikari / Droves split  the review

Gowl - On our feet or on our Knees  the review

Husmanskost - Ründpült    the review
 
Lock Up - Demonization   the review

Looking for an Answer  - Dios Carne    the review

Stimulant - Stimulant   the review

The Arson Project - Disgust   the review

Gendo Ikari / Droves - split (2017)

This grind split is as good as its cover art is shitty. Yes, it's really good! Last year Gendo Ikari first release "Unit 1" impressed me (my review HERE), and their side on this split maintain the quality, furious uncompromising and straight to the point grind. I'm discovering Droves (another scottish band)  with this split and I'm glad I did because they're also really good. Both bands remind me a bit Brutal Truth for their feel of out of control brutality but Droves also because of the wild rock'n'roll/punk groove it has (whereas Gendo Ikari is probably the heavier of the two). This split is ten minutes of excellent grind. Go for it!

The BC page.

Gendo Ikari - Unit 1 (2016)

2016 was a good year for new grind bands and Gendo Ikari, from Scotland are another proof with their first release called Unit 1. Ten minutes (7 songs) of excellent grind, with a balance of chaos and groove that reminds me a bit Brutal Truth. Each track is really good, and with enough diversity in rhythms so that it grabs your attention from the start and never let you go. They seemed to have escaped many radars but that should be corrected and probably will be, because they are not only promising but already very strong. Highly recommended!

Their BC page.