Chepang - Swatta (2023)

Chepang fourth album, Swatta, see them going even further the innovative and technical grind road (reminding a bit Discordance axis / Gridlink) and it's an awesome album, and probably will be the most memorable (possibly also best) grind album of the year. They kept the chaotic sax element on some songs, but also wrote some more melodic and longer ones, invited plenty of guests on some others, and there's also a part experimenting AI songwriting. Fifty minutes of crazy and full of surprises grind. Would take me pages to properly review this album... I'll just sum it up in one word : WOW! 

The BC page.

 

Antigama - Witheout (2022)

Witheout, the eight album from Antigama delivers another excellent piece of forward-thinking math-grind. Feeling a bit more straightforward and slower than The Insolent was, with a less catchy songwriting it will maybe stay as less memorable, even if I also like how they managed to develop this time a different atmosphere, less frenetic, more deliberate (but still super fast and angry!), dark and dystopic. Without confirms their place as the best technical and modern grind band. A strong contender for best grind album of 2022 !

The BC page.

 

Shock Withdrawal - Shock Withdrawal (EP 2022)

Shock Withdrawal, with a first self-titled EP released by Selfmadegod Records and with the vocalist of Noisear (and ex-Maruta) seemed nice on paper. I had to check it. And I did well! It's not only nice on paper, but also really pleasing to my ears! Like a good death/grind band should, they deliver a good combination of speed and groove on these six tracks. Rooted in old school, but done with a sharp and tight modern execution and production. An album will be welcomed!

The BC page.

 

Schismopathic - The Human Legacy (2021)

The Human Legacy is the first album from Schismopathic despite the fact that the band was formed in 1988. They play some old school death/grind that remind Terrorizer and Extreme Noise Terror. And they get the good balance between speed and groove. It's excellent and is very likely to appear in my soon to come list of best grind in 2021.

The BC page.

 

Dephosphorus - Sublimation (2020)

Dephosphorus is a band that, at every time of its evolution, had an extra something, a great attention to details and mastery over what they do (the thundering and especially good drums parts in Sublimation is a great example of that. Riffs are very good as well, and you can recognize instantly Panos vocals), and also offering something different. While still firmly rooted in the most lethal black/death Sublimation is maybe also where they expand the most their "cosmic" atmospheres that could remind a bit Neurosis but in short songs filled with blast beats, even if sometimes the pace slows down. Every tracks bring something different, new subtleties. Sublimation is another excellent album from Dephosphorus deepening and polishing further their unique style. I also recommend their new live cassette (recorded during the Impossible Orbits tour), quality stuff.

The BC page.

 

Agathocles - Commence to Mince (2016)

If you know a bit about grind or crust you probably know Agathocles, the Belgian band formed in the eighties having done an incredible number of releases, especially splits, and more than a dozen of albums (they released nearly thirty releases in 2016 for exemple), but they're also well known because they're among the best grind / punk band, or mincecore as they say. Commence to mince is the album they released in 2016 (with Selfmadegod records) and it showcases perfectly the ability of the band to deliver all you want from a grind / punk band. Of course a discography so immense have some highs and lows, Commence to Mince is among the highs. Good stuff, keep going Agathocles!

The BC page. 

Dephosphorus - Impossible Orbits (2017)

Impossible Orbits is the new album from Dephosphorus. Following two very ambitious and more "progressive" albums (the mysterious "Night Sky Transform", still my favourite one, and the double one "Ravenous Solemnity" that covered the wide spectrum of Dephosphorus music) Impossible Orbits sounds like a return to something more straightforward and less complex. You'll still find the different elements that makes the bands music (a mix of grind, black metal, Slayer and Neurosis we could say) and its uniqueness, but this time the focus is on the most aggressive side of the band personnality, more thrash/black/grind, shorter songs, less post-metal/atmospheric elements. Is it a successfull move? Well, it sure succeeds in making another great album, with many great moments and memorable songs, and even though the songwriting feels condensed and maybe simplified, still each song manages to have it's own specificity, like is usual with Dephosphorus. It also succeeds in making a different kind of album, avoiding repetition. Yet, even though I enjoy listening to Impossible Orbits, I think most of the times I'll prefer going back to their older stuff. Very worthy of your time anyway. excellent stuff again.

The Bandcamp page.

Terrorazor - Abysmal Hymns of Disgust (2016)

2016 has been a really good year for grind debut albums. I already reviewed Asphalt Graves, Cavernicular, Chepang, Sonic Poison and Writhing Mass (see HERE my list of best grind in 2016 with the links to the reviews). And now here comes this "instant classic" first album, Abysmal Hymns of Disgust by Terrorazor from Germany. Their music reminds Terrorizer ( yes, it's not only the name and cover art, it's also the music, the style and the quality) and Repulsion. Their old school grind has blasts and d-beat, punk / trash riffing (and also a bit of guitar soloing!), and old school death metal vocals, sound and groove. But what sets Terrorazor apart is their ability to write excellent grind songs, brutal and catchy at the same time. The 19 songs album is all killers and no fillers and some songs will really stick in your heads in a way death-grind rarely manages to do. Another good find by Selfmadegod Records.If you're into old school death and grind this is really a must listen.

The Bandcamp page.

Cloud rat / Drugs of faith - Split EP (2015)

Excellent hardcore split EP from Selfmadegod records. First we have Cloud rat, currently one of the best hardcore band, displaying the wide range of their music in three songs, from pure agression to noisier moments and a touch of melody, with a songwriting ability that makes sure it does not sound like any other hardcore band. Then Drugs of faith, another really good band, gives us to listen to two tracks sounding somewhere between hardcore and some dark and aggressive noise rock. Really good split for people that ask more from hardcore.

The BC page.

Antigama - The insolent (2015)

The insolent is the seventh full lenght album of polish grinders Antigama. And this is truly a masterpiece in "math grind". They're often described as "cyber grind" and there is indeed a futuristic element in their sound, but they have a "real" drummer and I think "math grind" is more fitting to describe their music. Grind with sophisticated rythmic patterns and song structures. There's the "mathy" side of their music but it's still grind, even reminding Napalm death, but the most forward thinking Napalm death pushed even forward. There's diversity and surprises in the songs but also in the album, with faster shorter songs and  longer ones with slower, sometimes also more melodic, parts. Unlike many "math" or "technical"rock / metal bands you don't get lost and disconnect after a few songs, they manages to stay "catchy" and at the same time very intense throughout the whole album. A very satisfying album. To be honest I wasn't that much into their music up to now, but I really dig this album and it makes me want to rediscover the rest of their discography. The album is released by Selfmadegod records.

The Bandcamp page.

Gridlink - Longhena (2014)

sadly Longhena is the last Gridlink album (Gridlink was Jon Chang (Discordance axis), Bryan Fajardo (Phobia, PLF, Kill the client, Noisear), Takafumi Matsubara (Discordance axis, Hayaino Daisuki) and Teddy Patterson (Burnt by the sun, Human remains, Hayaino Daisuki), but at least they end on a very high note. very few bands, if any, could match their intensity and Longhena is also very intense. but at the same time they introduced some longer songs (the longest is 3 min 11 though) and slower parts (not slow parts, but slower compared to their usual extreme speed). in doing so they managed to keep the intensity very high while adding more diversity, more space to breathe, in thir music. which do not decreases its impact but actualy increases it because you don't get lost on the way and stay focused during the whole record. Longhena is released by the excellent Selfmadegod records and Handshake inc.

Longhena on BC 

Antigama / The kill / Noisear split (2013)

yep, Antigama, The kill and Noisear on the same split record, exiting isn't it? thanks to the excellent Selfmadegod records for releasing it. eleven tracks of the best grind by three among the best grind bands. each one having a special and personnal take on the style so there's diversity on this split which is always welcome. Antigama plays some modern, technical "sci-fi cyber grind" (justa  way of describing its atmosphere). The kill is more old school straightforward trashy grind, with really cool and efficient riffing and very fast drumming. and Noisear is modern and technical grind with the very special and original riffing of Dorian Rainwater and the drumming of Brian Fajardo. there could be a lot to be said about each of these bands, but hey, Antigama, The kill and Noisear sharing a split? enough said..just go for it!

the bandcamp page for the split.

Squash bowels - Grindcoholism (2013)

ah the simple pleasures of life! would be a shame not to enjoy it.. so be sure to check Squash bowels' grindcoholism. grind blast beats. guttural growls and shriekings. death metallic riffing, heavy and primitive grooves. the polish trio, formed in 1994, deliver all that with all the accuracy, speed and power needed. Grindcoholism, released by the excellent Selmadegod records, is their 6th full lenght and it's maybe heir experience that help them to strip their music of any useless subtility. simple but highly pleasing..and addictive!

take your daily dose on their BC page.

Megascavenger-Descent of Yuggoth (2012)

Looking for the putrid groove of old school death metal? look no further, Mecascavenger will fit perfectly. Mecascavenger is one of the project of the very busy Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Demiurg, The grotesquery, Bone gnawer, Revolting and more). on this debut album (after an EP) called Descent of Yuggoth he worked with a crew of other very experienced death metal musicians (Dan Swano (Edge of sanity, Bloodbath), Marc Grewe (Morgoth), Jörgen Sandström (ex-Grave, Krux) and Paul Speckmann (Master, Death strike) as well as guest solos by Patrick Mameli (Pestilence), Jonas Lindblood (Puteraeon), Eric Daniels (Asphyx). with these guys no surprise the music is very solid and efficient good ol'death metal with a bloody groove, vicious melodies and pummeling beats. the record is released by Selfmadegod records which is also quickly building a solid reputation.

check it on BC

 

Catheter-Southwest doom violence (2012)

Southwest doom violence, released this year by Selfmadegod records (a good record label from Poland that also released last Encoffination among other good stuff),  is the second full lenght by Catheter from Denver. The first one was already cool but unlike this one it suffered from a weak production. Like many bands nowadays they injected in their grindcrust mix a heavy dose of sludge, a bit like a fight between Napalm death and Eyehategod, a mix of early and modern grind, crust and sludge (southwest doom violence they say. that's a way to describe it!). the good thing is that they're doing this grind/sludge thing better than others, with a good, dynamic and diverse, songwriting and a really good execution of the songs. good riffs, good drumming and good vocals. and more importantly they know how to make it groove!

check it on the Selfmadegod bandcamp

edit : in fact Southwest doom violence is their third LP, Preamble to oblivion in 2002, Dimension 303 in 2005 and Southwest in 2012, plus a bunch of splits, compilation, etc...

and here's an interview with H murder, drummer in Catheter :

-can you present the band briefly ?

the band is now brandon hayden bass/vocals, jeff montoya guitar/vocals, and h murder drums /vocals   

 

-a few words about Southwest doom violence? 

 

it was an album that got recorded with a different line up and after many listens to the record it was not up to our standards so we rerecorded the whole thing and added a few new songs

 

-How was it written, recorded, produced?

it was written over the course of 7 years some  songs changed rearranged songs added some dropped and it was produced by steve goldberg of cephalic carnage and catheter

 

-7 years between Dimension 303 and Southwest doom violence, what’s the reason? Did you prefer recording a lot of splits and Ep’s?

actually we did no splits in that time except one with street walker but the recording went through a few line up changes over the years so thats why it took a while to get finished 

 

-seems to me that you added a heavy dose of sludge in your music since Dimension 303, a few words about that?

we are fans of the sludge and we always had the element in our music it seems it just came out that way i think the future will bring more of that to the table 

-in your opinion what is grindcore and what does it means to you?

in our opinion grindcore was a way to bond with friends around the world with this similar taste in music it was a tight knit scene but over the years it got kind of trendy with this more grind than thou attitude and lost the unity and bond it once had that was special. don't get us wrong there is that bond going on still but not like it was in the late 80's early 90's 

 

-what about your lyrics?

Catheter lyrics are a wide range of things from personal trauma to world wide events to anger to not so serious topics 

 

-which bands from your area would you recommend?

Jeff has another band tree of woe, and really other than that ACDC is killin it Laughing dog is amazing! 

 

-any hope to see you play in Europe?

well if you missed us in 2012 i doubt we will be back any time soon 

 

 -what do you plan for the coming months?

 

we are on a break now did a heavy dose of touring and we each follow a different direction in our personal lives.

 

-something to add?

 

check out the facebook page and get our new album!