with the Hobo

Rating Guide
95% - 100%: Mind-blowing! The complete package! Buy this without hesitation!

85% - 95%: Killer release for the genre, check it out.

80% - 85%: Solid release with a few minor shortcomings.

70% - 80%: A little disappointing, but hints at potential and by no means 'bad'. I'll await future recordings before final judgement.

60% - 70%: Unimpressive, average and quite possibly boring.

< 60%: Don't waste your time on this piece of rotting faecal matter.

Abaddon Incarnate - Dark Crusade

Genre: Death/grind 
Year: 2004
Rating: 93% 
Label: Xtream Music

Let me tell you; this album almost broke my f***ing neck! I was sifting through some new Grindhead stock and randomly threw this on. What graced my ears was a kind of progressive death/grind group from Ireland. Others have dubbed the group grind, whereas I'd call them brutal death metal with a very progressive influence, incorporating the no-nonsense, unpredictable nature of Grindcore. 

Abaddon Incarnate utilise elements of death, grind and crust while mixing things up with the occasion nod to newer extreme strains such as Aborted style grooving death, or newer school Nasum/Rotten Sound type grind. The beauty of this album is the groups ability to constantly switch things up - in the album you can hear throwbacks to Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Aborted, Napalm Death, Terrorizer and Circle of Death Children to name but a few. The brutal dual vocal attack also helps keep things interesting. Add the thick, rich production courtesy of Mieszko (Nasum) and you've got one brutal f***ing concoction of destruction! Grab this if you are a fan of new death metal or grind.

 Asschapel - Fire and Destruction

Genre: Metallic Hardcore 
Year: 2003 
Rating: 86% 
Label: Crimes Against Humanity

The Chapel of Ass. An interesting name, and great music. The group lies somewhere in between thrashing death, hardcore and crust. Their lyrics are half-serious bursts of embellished apocalyptic hatred and rage - which matches the music perfectly. The vocals are hostile as any hardcore group and as violent as any Grindcore outfit. There isn't too much that can be said about this album - it grooves, it thrashes and it rocks. It's just a great f**kin hate-filled burst of aggression - a solid wall of energy as someone put it. Check this one out.

Beyond Terror Beyond Grace - Still Human, Still Humane?

Genre: Death Grind 
Year: 2005 
Rating: 81% 
Label: Grindhead Records

Beyond Terror Beyond Grace are Sydney's youngest and newest Grindcore outfit, hastily picked up by Grindhead Records to release this, their debut four-track EP. Two things stand out on this EP: the diverse vocal style of Bart and the blistering drumming of 16 year old Steve (which, I assure you, will more than impress). The songs themselves are rarely run over two minutes, packed with brutal blast beats, impressive fills, thrashy guitar riffs and intelligent lyrics.

Stylistically the group draw from both old and new schools of Grindcore - fusing that of old Napalm Death and Discharge with newer groups such as Rotten Sound, Pig Destroyer and Circle of Dead Children. From witnessing their first live performance I can safely say we are going to hear a lot more from this ambitious young group, who have the talent, passion and dedication to make a big impact on the Australian (and eventually international) metal scene.

You can pick up their EP for $7.5 USD ($10 AUD). For more information and MP3s visit www.grindheadrecords.com or their My Space page . Definitely a group to check out.

Bile - Camp Blood

Genre: Horror Gore Grind 
Year: 2005 
Rating: 55% 
Label: No Escape Records

If you know me (and you don't) you'll know I'm not exactly the biggest fan of gore/grind. In fact, most gore/grind is about as appealing as an oiled up Mr. T electro-torturing my rectum. I see most of it as sloppy, incoherent and most of all utterly pointless. Throw some basic riffs together, a few tempo changes (blast / chug / blast / groove / blast) and some grumbling guttural s*** about hacking people up and you've got a gore grind classic. To some, gore is bliss - to me, it's as boring as bats*** (unless it is done exceptionally well, as seen later in this installment).

There were times on the album like the opening of Axe Wielding Killer where I started to actually enjoy Bile, but all hope of a satisfying release was taken away from me with the same old chugging riffs, and uninspiring vocals. "Roaawarraarr grah gwaaf bwahcar!" Yeah, compelling stuff there. Real philosophical insight. The insert tells me the lyrics are as groundbreaking as "Swinging blades, take off heads, severed limbs, teenage jigsore, strangling victims while stabbing their lungs" - not that anyone would notice or care if they were fascinating abstractions on the nature of existence.

To me the entire album just sounds like a muffled sample of a sloppy turd being expelled from an obese mans rotting, struggling insides, slowed down and drawn out with a drum track thrown over the top of it - and it doesn't interest me in the slightest. Generic gore almost pisses me off as generic death metal (see: Deicide). Obviously the continued evolution of metal lies in rehashing horror movie concepts and meaningless guttural crap. Give me a break. f*** boring and incoherent gore.

Biolich - The Space Between Home and Today EP

Genre: Umm… Progressive Technical Death/Gore/Grind? 
Year: 2005 
Rating: 95% 
Label: Paragon Records

For some reason Biolich remind of Converge. At first glance they appear to be a grotesque, hulking gore/grind monster, thrashing awkwardly about with such immense violence and power once cannot help but be in awe. But upon closer inspection, you find a certain grace and beauty in that brutality - you realise the unwieldy movements are in fact deliberate and calculated, with such cryptic complexity and skill they only seem random and chaotic.

This is definitely not your average grind band. At its most heavy the group sounds like a blasting Mastodon - those catchy yet awkward riffs bludgeoning you with off-beat trickery and multifaceted blows. Then unexpectedly you'll come across a riff or passage which comes across as melodic, almost beautiful in a twisted and sinister sort of way. The vocals switch from up front screams, to group vocals (all group members share vocals), to taking a back-seat to the music, lurking in the background amidst a wall of dissonant sonic intensity. 

Like Converge and Mastodon, there is certainly nothing conventional about this band. Their style is unique and unlike anything else I have heard - I have compared them to the two aforementioned bands purely to underline this. The musicianship of all band members is mind blowing. Write that name down people, Biolich (Boron Iodine Oxygen Lithium Carbon Hydrogen). Unfortunately this is only a six track MCD, so just as you begin to dissemble Biolich you're left confounded and confused. F**k knows what this is, but I know I want more! Should go down well for fans of Cephalic Carnage, Demilich and progressive groups pushing the future of Grindcore. Word is they are currently doing a split with Lord Gore on No Escape Records.

 Embalming Theatre - The World is a Stage… For Murder!

Genre: Gore Grind 
Year: 2005 
Rating: 80% 
Label: No Escape Records

The Swiss group of Embalming Theatre are on of the most respected and well recognised men in gore. Boasting a beyond impressive discography and having existed for a decade, it is clear to see these gore grinders are passionate about what they do. No really being one for gore, I don't own any of their back catalogue - so I can only go from what I've heard here. 

Embalming Theatre play a gory mix of mid-tempo death, brutal death grooves and all out grind. The album is something of a concept album - as the CD title may suggest to you, the entire 18 tracks are about real-life happenings across the world in the last few years (examples are 'Thieves tried to snort a bag of power they found. The band contained the cremated remains of a dog called Charlie.' And 'A man (on LSD) cut off his penis then fried and ate it'). It's clear the guys mix some humour with their gore - as song titles like Get High on a Dead Dog and Amputation of the Wrong Leg Pt. II may suggest.

As far as grinding gore goes, this is some good s***. Crusty production, catchy grooves, audible lyrics, and it is obvious the guys had a lot of fun writing and recording this album. If you're a fan of the genre check it out, but I don't think this album will be converting any emocore darlings to gore anytime soon.

Neuropathia -Satan is a c***

Genre: Horror Gore Grind 
Year: 2005
Rating: 82% 
Label: No Escape Records

Neuropathia - the Polish graveyard cowboys of gore grind. Well known throughout the underground circles, Neuropathia have been in existence for the better part of a decade perfecting their form of crushing and catchy gore. Their new album, Satan is a c*** includes thirty minutes (14 tracks) of new material, four classic grind covers and a bonus reissue of the cult recording When the Earth Spits Out the Dead.

All the typical elements of gore can be found throughout: horror movie samples, pitch shifted vocals (used sparingly), guttural growls and blast beats aplenty. The vocals are reminiscent of Dismember vocalist Matti Kärki's deathcore bark. In many ways Neuropathia remind me of Lord Gore - from the crisp guitar tone, to the varied and experimental vocals. Production-wise the mix is bass-heavy and crusty, with a great crunch on the guitar and rounded drum sound. The songs themselves are built off a punk influenced grind base with various crust, rock, gore and punk elements thrown in the mix for some originality and variation.

The first and most prominent song on the album Freaks on the Loose is an absolutely punishing introduction to Neuropathia. You're hit with twisted vocal effects, catchy riffs, impressive drum work - which grabs your attention like a claw hammer to the face. A killer track and a great introduction which sets the tone of the album.

Other highlights include: Clatter in the Coffin - a catchy grind track with obvious Napalm Death influences in which you are hit mid-song with one of the most unexpected moments in gore - a catchy xylophone solo. Plan 9 From Outer Space is the most obvious Blood Duster influenced song (besides the great cover of Duster's Pornstorestiffi) with a stylish punk rock groove, and the various classic grind covers of Impetigo, Repulsion and Brutal Truth tracks.

After a few spins it becomes clear Neuropathia aren't the most serious of individuals - which should have been obvious with song titles like Bad Boys Goto Hell, Eat Your s***, Vaginismus, Sperminator and Anal Journeys of Thomas Superstar, the Duster cover and True Norwegian Black Metal written across the disc label. The album is actually a hell of a lot of fun - with the catchy riffs and vocal variation keeping the album from slipping into monotony.

The second half of the album - the reissue of 'cult' release When the Earth Spits Out the Dead - does not really hold the same power of the newer material, hindered largely by unintelligible production and ridiculously gored out vocals. Regardless, it is nice as a bonus extra and is sure to be embraced by many gore/grind fans.

Satan is a c*** is a solid release filled with punk/rock melodies, brutal breakdowns, grooving death/grind segments and crushing grind passages which compact your skull into a neat little cube. Keep your eye out for any future releases. Nuns, guns and rock n' roll! 

Regurgitate - Hatefilled Vengeance EP

Genre: Gore Grind 
Year: 2002
Rating: 90% 
Label: Relapse Records 

The words that come to mind with this disc playing? Twisted, sickening, obscene and grotesque Christian fun! Metal Archives tells me these are tracks re-recorded from a 1994 demo and their debut full length, also in 1994. This is my first encounter with fifteen year old Regurgitate, and I'll tell you what, these guys are certainly no amateurs. No wonder Relapse picked 'em up.

Its easy to see why they've earned so much admiration in the grind scene. They understand how to make a listenable, catchy, fast-paced and (relatively) unpredictable gore grind album. They don't keep playing the same boring f***ing figures over and over. They don't just monotonously gore out to some bulls*** simple riff. They switch up tempos, they occasionally breakdown, they blast and they groove. The group lands more in the 'grind' category than 'gore', which is probably why it kicks so much f***ing arse! I'm definitely going to be acquiring their back catalogue.
 

Alright that does it for this month. Almost all the CDs in this installment are available through Grindhead Records for a mere $11.5 USD. We've also got a massive catalogue of death, grind and gore from all over the world - from Europe to Australia to Asia and back again. So, if you're looking to explore the extreme look no further. The email is thewinterofyourdiscontent@hotmail.com if any of you want to contact me for whatever reason.

-Hobo.