Originally published in ‘zine issue #43, 2011

by R. Mason

Blood Red Throne Souls of Damnation
(Earache)
Searing, proficient, and catchy-as-all-hell death metal that, despite sounding like something you might’ve heard blaring out of over-taxed JCM800s in a Tampa storage space brimming with hair, backfat, and beer breath circa 1992, actually hails from Norway. Blood Red Throne hastily prove themselves to be one of the best death metal bands in the game. They are in no way interested in trying your patience with fruity experiments or Origin-style trigonometry; the sole mission here is to bludgeon the senses with high-quality, expertly executed, pure fucking death metal done about as well as you’ve ever heard it. ■

Inevitable End The Severed Inception
(Relapse)
Whoever handled the sequencing of this album did Inevitable End a real disservice, as opener (and title track) “Severed Inception” is by-the-numbers tech death/grind which does very little to prepare you for the far-less-rote remainder of the album. Thankfully, once track two hits, it’s a (mostly) different ballgame. Between blinding displays of instrumental acumen, technical bombast, and tricky arrangements, these Swedes bust out some totally crushing breakdowns which spastically groove and confuse before suddenly accelerating into slide-rule riffs that are often as reminiscent of Human Remains’ grind-science as they are of the usual tech/death suspects (Origin, Cryptopsy, etc.). It’s evident that attention was paid to writing actual (and memorable) songs, which is in itself a rare feat for tech/death bands, and for the most part, Inevitable End succeed. For what it’s worth, I usually can’t sit through three consecutive songs on any modern tech/death record without slipping into a fugue state and reaching for an old Danzig CD, but in Inevitable End’s case, I had no problem whatsoever (first track not withstanding) jamming this straight through in its entirety. Overall, this is a very solid, well-crafted technical death metal album that places Inevitable End head and shoulders above most “tech” bands by virtue of the aforementioned catchy riffs, jolting breakdowns, and even occasional nods to mid-’90s Converge-style metalcore. But the most interesting part of this band? Take a look at the lyrics, and it quickly becomes evident that Inevitable End are a Christian death metal band (on Relapse, no less). While there’s certainly no obfuscation on the band’s part here—the lyrics are overtly Christian—there was no mention of it made in the bio the label provided or on their website. Interesting. ■

“The sole mission here is to bludgeon the senses with high-quality, expertly executed, pure fucking death metal.”

Maggot Brain Demo 2010
This is interesting. The first song kicks off with a D-beat and a melodic crust riff that could’ve been lifted from a His Hero Is Gone song, then quickly takes an abrupt Dead Horse-ian left turn into catchy groove metal, then veers into some dramatic Maiden-esque harmony parts. The effect isn’t jarring at all; there’s no Mr. Bungle-type “look how clever we are!” smirking going on—the seemingly disparate elements mesh really well (hence the Dead Horse reference), and it makes for a really fun listen. The only real criticism I have is that this kind of material is not well-served by the average grindcore vocalist Maggot Brain are keeping company with. This material deserves something a little less “one note.” Plus, only two songs? Come on, guys: I’ve been to Albany, and there isn’t jack shit to do there, so how about trying a little harder next time?

Lastly, just a tip, and bear in mind, I’m no marketing genius (as evidenced by the pile of unsold 7”es in my closet), but starting your bio with “Featuring ex-members of Clitorture,” while hilarious, is maybe not as compelling a reason to check out your band as you might think. Really hoping to hear some new Maggot Brain soon. ■

Mumakil Behold the Failure
(Relapse)
When I got this for review, I put this on my mp3 player and added it to a grindcore playlist. While driving to work one morning with the music on shuffle, a Mumakil track popped up four songs in, after “Lucid Fairytale,” Old Lady Drivers’ “Colostomy Grabbag” and a track from Brob’s Empty Life LP. I say this to try and explain my first encounter with Mumakil, and why it was inevitably a letdown. I made a few more attempts, and I tried to give a shit about this album, I really did, and there’s certainly nothing objectively wrong with it. It’s just that it sounds exactly like what you’d expect a post-Nasum grindcore album on Relapse to sound like: tight, professional, flawless, sterile. To put it differently, listening to Behold the Failure sort of reminds me of watching Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre and then watching the 2003 remake. The latter is undoubtedly a glossier, more-polished film with more photogenic actors, heaps of over-the-top gore, and jump scares galore, but it completely lacks the grimy authenticity of the original that made it so simultaneously appealing and revolting—that pervasive atmosphere of “wrongness”; the sense that you were experiencing something filthy, alien, terrifying and titillating. To these (admittedly jaded) ears, Mumakil are Texas Chainsaw Massacre ‘03, a very proficient, polished facsimile of grindcore. In short, you already know how this record sounds and whether or not you fall into the target demographic.

Music aside, this includes very nice packaging with great cover art. The lyrics are vaguely political, mostly of the generic “fuck your corrupt system/religion/corporation/etc.” variety, which always strike me as especially silly when ostensibly political grindcore bands provide a MySpace page as their website. Ever heard of Rupert Murdoch, fellas? ■

Sons Of Tonatiuh 2010 album
This is mid-tempo doomy crust-sludge from Atlanta in the Eyehategod, early Buzzov•en, Sourvein mold. Aside from throwing you a few interesting rhythmic curveballs in the first song, there’s really nothing here you haven’t already heard if you’re into this kinda vibe. I don’t know … I think the whole crusty sludge thing may be getting a bit long in the tooth, especially given the limited (self-imposed) parameters bands of this ilk tend to work within, and I would’ve really liked to have heard more of the erratic tempo shifts you’re teased with in the opening song, as they do a significant amount to make the same ol’ chord progressions sound revitalized.

That said, the recording is absolutely crushing—whoever was at the mixing board clearly knows what they’re doing, much to SOT’s benefit, as the sound elevates sorta mediocre material into becoming a highly listenable (if ultimately still mediocre) album. ■

Unrest Demo
Wow, this very unassuming looking CD-R (no packaging, just a band name and song titles scrawled in orange marker) turned out to contain some totally fucking ferocious Philly grindcore, with a noxious blend of crusty hardcore and blasting latter-day Brutal Truthisms. Really well-recorded for a demo, too. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no idea what the lyrics are, what the band’s aesthetic vibe is all about, or anything else (see the aforementioned lack of packaging), but based on the tunes alone (which ultimately is what matters, right?) this is one hell of a demo; hope these guys keep at it. ■