Grind

Massen – Gentle Brutality [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Massen – Gentle Brutality [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

“If you know me—and most of you should by now—you know that I love bands who fearlessly combine multiple genres into one pot. I want to be blown away by their exploratory vigor, dismissing all pretense of genre loyalty with gusto. Give me something that challenges my advanced ability to categorize and compartmentalize, and you are likely to garner an instant fan. Enter Massen, a Belarusian/German Frankenstein monster who unleashed one of the best records of the year, Gentle Brutality.” Polite hooligans.

Theophonos – Nightmare Visions [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Theophonos – Nightmare Visions [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Nightmare Visions is a blackened grindcore debut from Michigan’s Theophonos, the brainchild of Jimmy Hamzey (Serpent Column). If that genre label sounds unappetizing, don’t let that deter you. Theophonos took every hard rock and metal song released since 1967, crammed them all into a woodchipper, and assembled the mangled output into a blackened 30-minute hydra. Miraculously, it works.” NightmareER!!

Jarhead Fertilizer – Carceral Warfare Review

Jarhead Fertilizer – Carceral Warfare Review

“There’s disgusting death metal, there’s brutal death metal, then there’s death metal that walks into a room and makes you wonder if anyone else in that room has a restraining order against it. Autopsy may have pioneered this brand of whiplash, burner phone grooves against parole-violating subject matter, but Jarhead Fertilizer—featuring mostly current or former members of grinders Full of Hell—has taken the campy idea of that putrid stance and added to it a real-world violence.” Feel the Fertilizer.

Walking Corpse – Our Hands, Your Throat Review

Walking Corpse – Our Hands, Your Throat Review

“Heavyweights Gridlink and Rotten Sound have led the grindcore charge in 2023, but to discount less heralded acts carving a presence in the modern grind scene runs the risk of overlooking the next big thing. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Walking Corpse independently released an EP and debut full-length, 2020’s The Fear Takes Hold, before inking a deal with one of heavy music’s more impressive modern labels, Transcending Obscurity.” Dead man walking!!

Gravesend – Gowanus Death Stomp Review

Gravesend – Gowanus Death Stomp Review

Gravesend’s 2021 full-length debut, Method of Human Disposal, hit me like an unexpected brick between the eyes. So shocking was that concussive impact, in fact, that I was a bit dazed and later had to revisit the album to adjust the score. Upwards. To a 4.0. The New York City trio’s brand of blackened grind exuded such an aura of debauched filth that it almost matched the tales of decay and depravity woven by the lyrics. While grind is not my natural go-to genre, this, apparently, is what I want from it. Whether that says more about me or Gravesend, I don’t know but the latter certainly have issues that they may want to explore with a professional. Now back with that tricky sophomore record, has two years away helped these NYC denizens?” Dirty water death dawgs.

Gridlink – Coronet Juniper Review

Gridlink – Coronet Juniper Review

“Have you ever heard Gridlink’s 2014 opus Longhena? If you haven’t, then you wouldn’t quite understand why your local anime pfp’d grind addict can be found twitching about shouting the pleasures of that modern grind classic, especially in anticipation of this new chapter in the New Jersey grind outfit’s story.” Not the final fantasy!