“You may have noticed a tendency of the AMG staff to carp, whine and bitch about albums being too long and including too much filler. It’s a sad truism that because CDs are capable of holding 75 minutes of tuneage, way too many bands think they have 75 minutes worth of quality music when usually…they don’t. Mammoth Grinder are the exception to that rule and their Underworlds album clocks in at a lean, mean twenty-eight minutes and it feels as refreshing as a bath in a mountain lake.” Pressed for time? Need your ass kicked quickly and fully. Hire a Mammoth!
Grind
Torture Division – The Worship Review
Torture Division is what some would call a “supergroup,” made up of Lord K. Philipson (The Project Hate, ex-God Among Insects), Jörgen Sandström (Krux, The Project Hate, ex-Grave, ex-Putrefaction), and Tobias Gustafsson (Vomitory, The Project Hate). And let’s just say that these guys play a mean fiddle.
Mumakil – Flies Will Starve Review
“Swiss grindcore legion Mumakil take their name from the gigantic, elephant-like creatures that appear in the Lord of the Rings novels. Also known as Oliphaunts (as the Hobbits of middle-earth refer to them) these 6-tusked monstrosities come from the jungles of Far Harad and are often ridden into battle, covered in armour and even more spikes, by the Haradrim. They are just as magical, and just as terrible, as dragons. It is from these beasts that Mumakil draw their name, and from their lineage hope to extract a sense of heaviness, ferocity, and steer trampling power. Their third full-length, Flies Will Starve, certainly plays like a stampede. At just over thirty-five minutes, this record is composed of twenty-four tracks that do their absolutely best to crush and grind the listener underfoot.” AMG has never been accussed of reviewing too much grindcore, so here’s Natalie with some grindcore, from Switzerland no less!
Shining – One One One Review
“Shining are a black metal band from Sweden with a very dystopian, hateful and depressive tinge to their music and a long history of albums and exploits to their name – such as violent live shows and staging the death of their vocalist. Hell, the vocalist even has a book to his name with the title “When Prozac No Longer Helps”, which speaks volumes of what to expect in the pages. So when you look at the title and album art of this album you might consider One One One somewhat of a surprise or a departure.” Noctus likes avant-garde stuff, so when Shining came along with a new album of jazzy weirdness, he was clearly the man for the job.
Quest of Aidance – Misanthropic Propaganda Review
“Gawd, is it possible it’s really been 30 years since V and Robert Englund rooted their reptilian claws so firmly into my life! My head very nearly exploded when I came across this, the first full-length release by Swedish deathgrind band Quest of Aidance and I discovered that Misanthropic Propaganda is in fact a V concept album based on the original 1983 television series. Yes really! Misanthropic Propaganda follows on from the band’s 2007 EP release Dark Are The Skies At Hand and while it’s been an extended break between EP and full-length release, it’s done Quest of Aidance the world of good.” Have we lost Madam X to The Resistance? Read on and find out.
Zombified – Carnage Slaughter and Death Review
If one thing has become clear lately, its that Madam X loves zombies, gore, death and dark stuff. Since Zombified is all about these things, who can be surprised she loves their Grave worshipping brand of nasty death metal.
Interview with Matthew Widener from Liberteer
Liberteer is an extremely interesting new grindcore project in two ways: (1) Its debut album has the longest and most straightforward, “You Don’t Say”-worthy name I’ve ever seen in grindcore so far. (2) Its groovy grindcore with symphonic and Americana elements thrown in!
Anaal Nathrakh – Vanitas Review
Anaal Nathrakh is a name that commands mucho respect in the frowny, downy world of black metal. Happy Metal Guy tells us if Vanitas keeps the flame of blackness burning bright in the dark of the winter night. Hey, that rhymed!
Savage Annihilation – Cannibalisme, Hérésie et autres Sauvageries Review
When Madam X heard this album was full of sick, inhumane grind, she wanted to taste the blood in her mouth as she enjoyed the carnage. When that didn’t happen, she got very unhappy. Lesson for the day: never deprive Madam X of her blood tasting!
Bombs of Hades – The Serpent’s Redemption Review
Bombs of Hades delivers an album of punky Swedish retro death loaded with crust and scabs. Our intrepid Steel Druhm is here to pick ’em all and find out what lies beneath. It ain’t pretty.