GOREGAST - 'La Revencha'
[Hecatombe]
If there is one thing that this masked band of Berliners understand and know how to do well, it is to make unadulterated noise pollution in its goriest and most violent form. Not often do you hear a band who describe themselves as 'Animalpower Death Grind' but I can tell you this one certainly leaves an impression, no an indentation upon your mind. as you'd expect the pace is break neck and excruciatingly brutal, never relenting in its severity or its blood thirsty antics. 'Germany' is generally a country of old school thrash and melodic power metal but this band of German miscreants have literally set the form book on fire and danced on its ashes. Featuring artwork which depicts a doctor cutting open his patient in a blood soaked environment might not be new, but the doctor being a satanic blood caked pit bull certainly is a new twist! The intro is dark and bitter, 'Animalismo' with have you hooked within seconds and the rest will simply bludgeon away your senses until all that's left is mush. Indeed for track five the band have even issued an apology for the sheer cerebral annihilation that they produce, its called 'Sorry I Damaged Your Brain'. Enough said! [8]
http://www.myspace.com/goregast
FLATLINE - 'Pave The Way'
[Stand & Deliver]
For a band described as a Melodic Death and Thrash Metal band they certainly know how to kick in some truly brutal riffs. Yet that isn't how 'Los Angeles' based Metallers 'Flatline' choose to spend all their time. In fact between the blisteringly fast yet satisfyingly catchy riffs comes wave after wave of melodic bliss that breaks the album 'Pave The Way' up nicely and makes the entire thing a total dream to experience. Complete with artwork that just screams of the bands 'Los Angeles' roots, that being a robotic skull mask surrounded by guns and ammo, it is clear that the band have tapped in to the environment around them and delved in head first for inspiration. They didn't have far to go judging by the end results and the bottom line is that you'll be hard pressed to find a better sound band on this particular scene right now. 'Flatline' have an obvious violence solves all attitude and it reflects in everything about them, from their name to the music to the artwork and beyond. 'Pave The Way' will crush all unsuspecting by standers and utterly delight the bands faithful followers whose number will be sure to increase!! [9]
http://www.myspace.com/flatlinemetal
A.C.O.D - 'Zero'
[Unsigned]
This 'Marseille' in the south of 'France' based band have a misleading Myspace page as so many do, in so much that it describes 'A.C.O.D' as Thrash Metal when in fact they are so much more. I'm not entirely sure what they do down there on the French Riviera to make they're bands so damn hard hitting but this is one example of a band who put their all into making their music as loud and noisy as possible with a rather technical sound to boot. Utilising a double vocalled approach this band and their latest release 'Zero' will please the fans of a more modern sounding technically created Thrash style but don't be mistaken there is something here for everybody including the bands quite often indulgently dark periods. Indeed whilst not entirely to my taste i cannot help but be seriously impressed by A.C.O.D [I have not idea what this stands for so I'll presume its something in French] and i think a lot more people will be cottoning on to what this lot have to say very soon. [8]
http://www.myspace.com/acod
BEYOND YE GRAVE - 'Raping The Creation Of God'
[Cold Breathe Of Silence]
Nothing can be said against the effort that this 'Moscow' region Black Metal band put into absolutely everything they do, from the bile spewing hatred for God which dominates their music, to the impressive cardboard inlay which displays the bands grim artwork and bleak outlook on life in general. My criticism would come in to play with regards to 'beyond ye Grave's' seemingly one dimensional style, that being rapid and brutal Black Metal played fast loud and with a vengeance. Whilst this is all very well and good, eight tracks of the same tuned down vitriolic vocalled Satanism is a little boring but take nothing away from these Russian forest dwellers, they know their stuff and they know how to get it across. With all the at i have already said in mind though, the sheer brutality, single mindedness and unrelenting hostility goes a long way and this is a band truly in touch with its darkened soul!! [6.5]
http://www.myspace.com/beyondyegrave
WISZDOM STONE - 'The Battle Rages'
[Unsigned]
Dispite the misgivings that this bands spelling of 'Wiszdom' gives off, this isn't too bad an effort. Yes it is steepled high with some of Wisconsin's finest and most mature of cheese and no it doesn't take much of a thought process to see what is happening here but surely that is part of the appeal, a good old fashioned rock band with powerful vocals that you can sing along too, massive riffs and a simplistic catchy tune that you can get drunk too and rock out with. If you approach their new release 'The Battle Rages' without too much seriousness then you will probably find them reasonable enjoyable and with only five tracks on offer it doesn't drag on as long as it might, but what with the cheddar value what it is today this may not be standing by for too many repeated spins on your stereo, but always end on a positive when you can, this is still some fine sounding music. [6]
http://www.myspace.com/wiszdomstone
DEPROGRAMMAZIONE - 'Non Esiste'
[Unsigned]
One of the more odder and unique concoctions that you'll be hearing these days, Italian band 'Deprogrammazione' play with a stripped down Black Metal feeling and sounding version of Grindcore. This new combination would work well but there is one flaw, it's god awful! Italy is not a place that you generally associate with Grindcore on on this evidence it isn't hard to see through the reasons for this. Occasionally the vocals sound almost childish and if you needed a reason to dislike this band, look no further than the artwork. A white blank cover, thrilling. Now I have no idea what the album name means so maybe I will look stupid here, but unless it means blank, or void, or pure for example, then its stupid and doesn't work. maybe there is some kind of political meaning to this but with music this bad who in their right mind is ever going to want to find out? [3]
http://www.myspace.com/deprogrammazione
SINGOD - 'My Hate Grows'
[Unsigned]
It is hard to write a review about a band when they have no website that can be found, and their Myspace looks like it was abandoned years ago, but what i can tell you about this Florida based 'Metal' band is that it sounds like a very amateur one or two man band playing sub standard unimaginative bile through poor equipment and with no knowledge on how to produce real music. The simple fact that this release has made it to compact disc is laughable as there is no entertainment value here whatsoever! 'My Hate Grows' is an oddly apt title as when you listen to this sewage that is the emotion it will force out of you. [0]
http://www.myspace.com/singod08
PUSSYVIBES - 'Pussy Gore Galore'
[666]
Rip roaring straight out of the 'Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition' handbook on how to make fast brutal Grindcore, 'Portugal's' 'Pussy Vibes' play fast powerful and immensely catchy grind infiltrated by hilarious film clips and started off by utilizing a hilarious intro taken straight from a hostage or blackmail distorted telephone voice. On the cover it states 'Girls, Gore & Grind' and that is exactly what you get with some extra gore on top just for good measure, or in the case messy pleasure. Signed to 666 Records, the bands new release 'Pussy Gore Galore' really is a cross between the afore mentioned 'SCD' and British upstarts 'Annotations Of An Autopsy' with every riff pulling you in, laden with gore and just the right amount of cheese so as to have the much needed comedy value. Add into the mix the obligatory pig squealing and you have a classic. Grind come often be dull and monotonous but when played in this way it's fresh and invigorating, in a stale putrid kind of way. So if you are at a loose end tonight, why not nip out and get some pussy? [8]
http://www.myspace.com/pussyvibes
MY COLD EMBRACE - 'Hausgeist'
[Unsigned]
Blistering blast beats, gruelling urgent vocals and fast pro-active drumming to blow your ears off, this is what you would expect from any decent self conscious German Melodic Death Metal band. Whilst 'My Cold Embrace' show their technical prowess on every track as well as their ability to bombast their captive audience with a solid wall of noise and aggression, there is little variety on offer, that is until you get to 'No More Headtrips' which slows down the pace, takes down the brutality and plays with your senses for a few moments before the usually style kicks back in with a serious vengeance. I think to have a problem with this 'Kassel' based five piece would be a terribly odd thing and what they concoct is satisfying and very well executed. Some may say there is a occasionally a slight lack of direction or maybe a need for more hooks or creativity but on the whole this does what it sets out to do, destroy, kill and Mame on a gigantic level! [7]
http://www.myspace.com/mycoldembrace
RECTAL SMAGMA/NAMEK - 'Split'
[666/Diablos]
I am of the opinion that most grindcore is usually dull noise pounded out by bands who have no talent to do anything a little more thoughtful or technical. However there are exceptions and by the looks of it 666 records and Diablos have signed up all of them. Where the usually gore soaked grind outfit has pig squeals, 'Rectal Smegma' have an entire swine farm doped up on meths and ready to eat your feet, 'Hannibal' style. Pigs have never sounded so damn sinister. the pace is furious, the violence uncharted and the overall effect is simply mind blowing. 'rectal Smegma' bring so much more to grind than your average band. I have never been much of a 'Napalm Death' fan, nor 'Repulsion' but this is something that beats out all of the competition from said bands. yes that is a big statement but this is good shit! So whilst the Dutchmen are doing their thing, along comes Portugal's answer by the way of the squealing and less than timid 'Namek'. carrying on the theme of unadulterated gore grind madness, 'Namek' play just as blisteringly fast and with all the venom of the previous band, but guys sorry to say that 'Rectal Smegma' do win the pig squealing competition. That said though both bands truly decimate this release and prove once and for all that Gore Grind is just far and away better than your usual standard boring run of the mill Grind. No contest! [9]
http://www.myspace.com/westlandgoregrind
http://www.myspace.com/namekgrind