Tag Archives: Grindcore

Album Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Genre

Winter – Into Darkness (Album Review)

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Winter – Into Darkness (Future Shock – 1990)

Released in 1990, when you’d expect a mix of influences like Hellhammer and Discharge to result in something akin to Napalm Death, New York’s Winter came up with something much bleaker and much slower. Into Darkness, their debut, shares a crusty, noisy, sense of protest with Napalm Death but rather than delivering it with blasting speed, Winter grind out an apocalyptically desolate combination of guttural death and turgid doom metal. It met with complete indifference on its original release and drummer and label problems meant the band called it a day soon after. But Into Darkness’ stature as a timeless mushroom cloud of misery has rightly grown over the years. An absolutely essential, boundary-pushing record.

2020 Svart Records reissue with the Eternal Frost EP bonus disc
Death Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Carcass – 1985 (Song Review)

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I can’t talk about instrumentals without including an album intro. A lot of them, especially on modern metal albums, are unremarkable atmospheric cobblers but you’ll still find plenty of instrumental openers that kick albums off in thrilling, memorable and iconic ways. Here’s a brilliant modern example: Carcass and 1985, the introduction to their 2013 comeback album Surgical Steel. Despite a relatively short run before their break up in 1996, Carcass exerted a huge influence on grindcore music and also melodic death metal. Their comeback was eagerly awaited and 1985 was a brilliant way to herald their return. A lot like a modern version of Priest’s The Hellion, 1985 layers guitar parts and builds tension and anticipation for the album to follow in such an imposing and grand way that it’s immediately clear that this album is going to be an event. The main musical idea was actually reworked from one the band’s first demo/rehearsal tapes that was recorded back in, you guessed it… 1985! It’s a fun Easter Egg for fans and a neat touch that hints at the level of craft and consideration that went into making Surgical Steel one of the best albums of the last ten years.

Death Metal, Genre, Song Reviews

Napalm Death – Smash A Single Digit (Song Review)

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“Crunch a number, grinds your gears”

A song about the dehumanisation and exploitation of workers should probably sound a bit angry so the topic is in safe hands with Brummie grind gods Napalm Death. In recent years they’ve been making some of their best ever music and Smash A Single Digit from 2015’s Apex Predator – Easy Meat is a masterclass in furious extremity. It’s dissonant and explosive with a superbly thrashy climax and an intense, vital performance from vocalist Barney Greenway. Napalm Death have been making excoriating noise for decades now and show no signs of taking a break.

 

Death Metal, Genre, Thrash Metal

Bolt Thrower – Forgotten Existence (1988 Peel Session) (Song Review)

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“Past the point of no return”

Bolt Thrower scored a good deal of buzz and a record deal from their 1988 Peel Session. When you listen to the radio session’s opening track Forgotten Existence, you can hear why. This is thrashier than the lumbering tank-tread riffing the Brummies would become known for but it’s crusty and hefty stuff and, like a lot of the BBC recordings, sounds incredible. The riffs are very Slayer-inspired, which is a very good thing, and original vocalist Alan West has a punkier voice that reminds me of the early Kreator stuff that Ventor sang. This is also a very good thing. Throw in the band’s perennial “tragedy of war” theme and you’ve got one hugely promising banger. Forgotten Existence is a great start to one of extreme metal’s most memorable careers.

Black Metal, Death Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Anaal Nathrakh – Hold Your Children Close And Pray For Oblivion (Song Review)

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“The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”

If I was making a playlist of my favourite songs from the previous decade Hold Your Children Close And Pray For Oblivion would definitely be on it. Taken from their 2016 album The Whole Of The Law, it’s absolutely berserk. Excoriating, industrial-grade grind mixes with hammering electronic passages. But for all their nightmarish noise, Anaal Nathrakh sure have a way with a hook and cram plenty of them in here. And in Dave Hunt, they have a vocalist versatile enough to deliver them. So when he’s not creating a white-noise shitstorm out of his face, he’s delivering an insanely catchy chorus with crazed metal god vocals and driving the song to a operatic climax. Oblivion has never been this much fun. This is what you wanted, this is what you need.