Total Fucking Destruction - Hater (2011)

Apparently Im the only resident of the Blog-o-sphere that likes Total Fucking Destruction, so Im making it my mission to convert the haters to the way of peace, love, and Total Fucking Destruction (see what I did there?). In the name of journalistic integrity, I need to confess that TFD's last album, Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction is one of my favorite albums. Ever. (Read my review.) So I approached their latest, Hater, with perhaps unreasonably high expectations. The fact that the shipment got delayed, causing me to wait anxiously by my mailbox like a puppy waiting for its master didnt help in forming more realistic expectations. This may all seem to be leading up to Hater being a huge let down, but the fact is that Hater is good. Really good.

It took a few spins for me to realize that this album and Peace, Love, etc. are two different beasts. Where the content of TFD's last album were more like exercises in musical deconstruction, Hater showcases a more relaxed approach. Sure, the spooked-cat-in-a-small-box drumming is still present, but there is also ample breathing room between blasts. There is a loose, punk feel to the songs that makes the album sound downright fun, instead of, well, psychotic.

The first few tracks get things grinding, and are reminiscent of the TFD we know and love. The first standout track, "Everything You Need and Nothing You Want," plops a fat juicy groove right in the middle, offering a chance to get your neck loosened up before enticing you to "grind for the money/grind for the girls." Now thats a message I can get behind. As always, the guitar shifts effortlessly among grinding riffs, bluesy grooves, and punk bounce. Theres even a damn good solo on "Dudehammer," which also happens to feature the best lyric on the album: "Im not Jesus/You dont know me."

TFD have always put a lot of thought into their vocals, and it pays off every time. The lyrical delivery compliments the underlying musical melody (or lack thereof), and lends each track a unique character. While the actual lyrical content seems pretty abstruse, there are many gems littered about. Hell, the entirety of "Meat Without Feet" is a lyrical gem.

I have always respected TFD's ability to re-interpret their earlier material. Acknowledging and re-inventing the old stuff provides a concrete sense of evolution. Its also just plain fun to see how they can completely change a song, like how "Bio-Satanic Terroristic Attack" went from being an acoustic folk song on Zen to one of the most blistering tracks on Peace, Love, etc. On Hater, the most obvious example is "Human is the Bastard." Originally recorded for This Comp Kills Fascists, this version has been doubled in length, slowed down, and otherwise altered so that it now resembles slow decay, rather than a careening freak-out. "Murdernumber" and "Battle Command in Future War" contain similar reworks of older material.

Hater continues TFD's tradition of growth and experimentation. Its also a hell of a good time. I hesitate to call it party grind, but this is definitely an album that is having a blast (no pun intended), and would like you to join it.

Haters gonna hate

Flagitious Idiosyncracy in the Dilapidation - Kakusei EP, 2011

Aah, the power of the low end. Not enough grindcore bands today recognize the power of a crushing bass groove, preferring to keep the riffs grinding and the drums blasting. Luckily, the gals (and guy) in Flagitious Idiosyncracy in the Dilapidation - the first non-gore related name Ive ever had to look up - know when to let up on the speed and settle into a gut busting groove. I had the pleasure of catching them last weekend, where they blew me away with an incredibly tight and focused performance. But the thing that stuck me most was the sheer intensity of the bass in this band, whether grooving or grinding: it was LOUD, and it never stopped.

I snagged a copy of their new EP after the set and, like their performance, the focus here is definitely the bass. Opening track Sakai starts off with a pretty ominous bass riff, which is soon joined by some rather tasteful guitar feedback, all before launching full throttle into familiar blasting territory. But the bass never fades from the foreground, crunching along over everything else. Its prominence forces the listener to recognize each song's rhythm, which tend to be rather strong, especially for a grind band. The punky, stop-start bounce of Zenmou is a shining example, sure to get circle pits started in a heart-beat.

While the excellent bass playing is Kakusei's biggest strength, it also contributes to its biggest weakness: you just cant hear the guitar. Normally this doesnt bother me, but every once in a while, a tasty little guitar lick rears its head to remind me that this guy is actually doing some neat stuff. Its the little flourishes at the end of the grind riffs in Sajou and Shosou that make me wish the band had just turned the guitar up a little bit. By the time closer Kyogen comes around, FID seems to have figured out the proper balance, and the reward is definitely one of the best riffs on the whole album.

This is a promising EP. FID knows how to write a memorable song, combining dinosaur-sized grooves with some creative guitar work that keeps the grindcore formula interesting. Hopefully by the time of their next release, theyll have found a more balance sound.

Engage in flagitious activity

Nails - Obscene Humanity and Unsilent Death

If there is one thing to know about Nails, it is this: they will crush you.  Though their live set at the Burning Love show mentioned in the last post was not as loud as desired, their execution was psychotically precise.  No bullshit, and it was written all over their faces as they played.  Their first release Obscene Humanity is a low-fi grind/hardcore album with distortion soaked riffs and machine-gun blasts firing over walls of feedback.  Southern Lord got their claws on them and re-released their second album Unsilent Death, an excellent follow-up demonstrating their ability to display variety without sacrificing focus.  Fast, grinding, and manic... basically, it smokes.

Myspace
Southern Lord Records Blog

DL (MF)- Obscene Humanity

DL(MF) - Unsilent Death

It's cold down here,
Drekula

WORMROT / I ABHOR SPLIT 2010

Thanks to Grind and Punishment's awesome review of Abuse, I was shoved head-first into the madness that is WORMROT.  Hailing from Singapore, and on tour in the USA for the first time, I had the distinct pleasure to catch these grind-warriors at the 31st Street Pub in PGH on September 8th.  Bringing the noise without reserve, these guys were absurdly fast, tight, and ruthless, and really friendly in person... HOTDOG, you can't go wrong!

So, while at the show, I naturally picked up their most recent release which happened to be a split with I Abhor.  To say the least, this is a 2010 grind gem; both bands drop heaping layers of face-shredding intensity that results in 11 minutes of straight brain damage.  For a more detailed review, check out Sunyata's blog, but if you're like me and like to dive in head-first and blind, then download and grind away.  Wormrot is STILL on tour in the US, so if you see they're coming through your town, throw them a goddamn grind-parade!

Myspace

Download - MediaFire

INFERNAL HAILZ,

DREKULA