South Carolina is not the first state that springs to mind when I think crust/grindcore, but Charleston has spewed forth False Light. In true grind tradition the songs on Forced by Flame are short and brutal, but well executed and exciting. I went back and listened to False Light's self titled debut for comparison and Forced By Flame is a sure footed evolution from an already kick ass band.
False Light jams thirteen tracks onto this 7", full of rage and distress. This is the soundtrack to a mental breakdown. And, I imagine, some pretty scary pits.
You can check out Forced by Flame on Bandcamp here and order the 7" here from Headfirst Records. One reason for owning a physical copy? Look to the left at this sick cover!
Ontario's grindcore heroes Corrupt Leaders have a new EP that kicks you in the ass and leaves faster than most bands get started. Four tracks and the longest one is 50 seconds. This sucks, because these four songs are fantastic and could use about twenty friends for a truly satisfying experience. DO NOT LET THIS DETER YOU FROM DOWNLOADING THIS EP NOW AND/OR BUYING THE 5" WHEN ITS RELEASED IN APRIL!
Comparing it to their first EP (s/t) I'm not sure if Grindmother is an evolution or de-evolution for Corrupt Leaders. On the debut the songs stretch from a little over a minute to a near prog-rocking three minutes. Grindmother takes all the debut's rage and fire and boils it down to it's white hot essence. The band as a whole is tight, but I have to give it the rhythm section for standing out in this blur of sonic fury.
Grindmother is a true aural assault even in it's brevity and check out that witchy album cover!
Here's my favorite track on the album, "Beaten Path"!
Follow the link above for Corrupt Leader's Bandcamp page. Also available there is the split EP with Dogma.
If you're going to name your album after the genre you play in, it damn well better be definitive. Like DRI's 'Crossover'. It was the blueprint for crossover metal (hardcore punk bands that started playing
thrash/speed metal). Phobia's 'Grindcore' is exactly what grindcore is; down tuned guitars, blast beats,
shrieking/growling vocals, and lightning fast chaos. So, yes, 'Grindcore' is pretty damned definitive. Grindcore was pioneered by bands like Napalm Death, who is probably the biggest name of the genre, and combined the nastiest bits of punk, metal, and industrial. Grindcore has never achieved a mass acceptance or any bands I can think of have crossed over to greater success, but there is a purity to Grindcore that is beautiful. This is a brutal form of music with songs clocking in from a few seconds to under two minutes (this new album from Phobia, with its eight songs, fits on a 7" record). It's not easy music to play, even with the songs being short, there is a stamina required of the musicians that those who can't appreciate Grindcore may take for granted.
Formed in Southern California in 1990, Phobia are now 24 year veterans of Grind with a deep discography and miles of touring behind them (although Shane Maclachlan is the sole remaining
original member). Over two decades in and they don't sound jaded, haven't betrayed their fans, and rip like a much younger band. You look at a lot of other bands who got a quarter century into their careers and they're barely recognizable from who they were when they "made it". This new EP is a manic storm of political/emotional madness and will leave you breathless. You want to get into Grindcore or you have a friend who's curious; put "Grindcore" in their hands and worn them about the whiplash.
Grindcore was pioneered by bands like Napalm Death, who is probably the biggest name of the genre, and combined the nastiest bits of punk, metal, and industrial. Grindcore has never achieved a mass acceptance or any bands I can think of have crossed over to greater success, but there is a purity to Grindcore that is beautiful. This is a brutal form of music with songs clocking in from a few seconds to under two minutes (this new album from Phobia, with its eight songs, fits on a 7" record). It's not easy music to play, even with the songs being short, there is a stamina required of the musicians that those who can't appreciate Grindcore may take for granted.