Category: Music

Grammatics have been lurking around for some time now, leaving a trail of excited chatter and avid expectation in their wake. Impressive support slots, a clutch of single/EP releases and numerous festival appearances are strapped archly under their collective belt, and yet the forces that be have worked against the Leeds quartet meaning that only now have they made it to the studio to record that pesky first long player.

In an attempt to quell the thirsts of their growing legions of supporters, their latest offering is a single free to download from their web site. Almost as if pop is inspecting its distorted reflection in the water, ‘The New Franchise‘ is 4 minutes and 30 seconds of stretched, shattered and twisted melodrama. Emilia’s knuckle-duster cello carves up fluid guitar lines and enchanting melodies; this single takes your archetypal indie wiff-waff by the scruff of the neck and pummels it into something wholly more unique without losing the instantly engaging and sugar-frosted nature that makes pop so addictive in the first place. From power ballad to electro stonking beefcake belter in the batter of an eyelid, Grammatics are checking the boxes without falling prey to the clichés.

The soaring power of Owen Brinley’s vocals, flitting effortlessly across all octaves, is one of those inimitable sounds seemingly designed specifically to polarize opinions and demand that people care, whatever their surmise. At a time when more and more radio fodder seems to mar into one inoffensive blur, here are a band willing to take chances, to have opinions and to wield their creative vision with true conviction.
So keep your ear to the ground… should these four post-indie starlets in-the-making play their game of chess correctly and maintain the sparkle that has propelled them thus far, 2009 could most certainly and rightfully be theirs.

Kate Price

Scot Hull of Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Pig Destroyer fame has been hard at work on planting the seeds of grind for what seems like ages now, but this compilation has finally arrived. Harking back to the grindcore / death metal compilations of yesteryear, This Comp Kills Fascists Vol.1 , serves as a blast from the past or as an almost “this is how we used to do things” jibe at the pierced, dyed, myspace-core nonsense of present. So it’s 14 bands. 51 tracks. Gentlemen….time to grind.

The main point to mention about this record would be the long overdue return to the studio of New York Grindcore legends, Brutal Truth, recording new tracks for the first time in almost a decade. Although Kevin Shrape, Dan Lilker and co have aged their music is still skull shatteringly intense. It still obliterates all in its path, as demonstrated in tracks ‘Dogs of War‘ and ‘Turmoil‘. The Truth are back and are equally as brutal as they were in 1992.

Although some bands like Maruta, Spoonful Of Vicodin and Wasteoid fall short of the mark (…..it is Grindcore…..what do you want?!) most step up and kick you straight in the teeth in this stripped down and raw record. Example? Weekend Nachos. They sound like Ringworm having a bare knuckle fist fight with S.O.D. Their sludgy yet high paced metal is entertaining and a welcome break from the failings of the opening tracks of the compilation courtesy of Agents Of Satan.

Chainsaw To The Face are as equally as harsh as their fucking awesome name suggests, while Shitstorm are as filthy and ….well….weather based as their name suggests. Rich Hoak pulls double duty on this record drumming with Brutal Truth and the just as legendary Total Fucking Destruction. The punk-jazz fusion-metal insanity is fantastic and nothing less that what you would expect from Philly’s finest grind institution.

Moody as fuck, death metal outfit Insect Warfare are another band to watch out for. The classic machine gun drums pelted with chugging grunts from both the guitars and vocals leave you feeling battered. The psychotic Kill The Client pull no punches with their old school style, mixing your typical grindcore samples and feedback before putting your ear drums in a blender. Overall a huge – and I mean HUGE – assault on your senses.

Man Will Destroy Himself shifts gear slightly with easier to swallow hardcore punk. Just because it’s easier to swallow on this record doesn’t make it any less abrasive. It’s fast as fuck and heavier than the average American child. The shrill, gargled vocals from front man ‘Earthworm’ coupled with clanging guitars and hardcore breakdowns; it’s the perfect addition to a record that could be in danger of sounding “samey” to the untrained ear.

If you are a fan of any the bands mentioned above, or have a hard-on for music of the “Power Violence” persuasion, then this is THE soundtrack to your lonely nights, blogging about how grindcore has changed whilst hunting for that illusive AxCx 7″on ebay. That’s not a bad thing….is it? IS IT?!? Answers on a postcard.

Tom Lindsey

Busy Signal has been smashing it up in his native Jamaica, but remains relatively unknown over here. However, with the release of his new album, Loaded, and this ridiculously good single Tic Toc, that could well be about to change.

This track has all the ingredients for a club smash, it’s got a booming bass drum that gets the body moving and a chorus that is more catchy than the common cold. The track is a combination of the typically high tempo dancehall energy and the hip hop blueprint and Busy Signal has been able to make the connection with consummate ease.

Coming from a crew that spawned the likes of Elephant Man, Mavado and Bounty Killer, all the signs are there for Busy Signal to make waves in this country and beyond and with this track and Unknown Number on the single release, you’re going to have to be deaf not to realise the potential of what is to come on Loaded.

All together now, Tic tic tic tic toc, tic tic tic tic toc, tic tic toc.

Abjekt.