Grindcore

Defleshed – Grind Over Matter

Defleshed – Grind Over Matter
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 28/10/2022
Running Time – 34:00
Review by Richard Oliver
8/10

Some albums you listen to and you can immediately see the circle pits swirling in your head and heads and masses of hair being thrown around without care or caution. Grind Over Matter is one such album and it also heralds the welcome return of Swedish Death-Thrashing bastards Defleshed after an absence of seventeen years.

Grind Over Matter sees the power trio of Gustaf Jorde (vocals and bass), Hell Y. Hansen (guitars) and Matte Modin (drums) reunite for a long awaited sixth album of Death Metal filth. Originally intended only to be a few songs for a vinyl box set, the band hit inspiration and just kept going. The end result is eleven songs of Thrash driven Death Metal which is very no frills in its attitude and delivery but just exactly the sort of audial bitch slap that the band delivers so well. It is impossible not to bang your head furiously with a maniacal grin when you get delicious nuggets of filth such as ‘Heavy Haul’, ‘Staring Blind’ and the title track. It is very much an Old School Death Metal style with nods to Grindcore at times in the delivery and definitely a huge Thrash influence, especially in the riffing style. The songs have plenty of groove as well as being relentlessly furious which comes to the fore in the absolute carnage of ‘Blastbeast’. This is an album that barely pauses for breath with only ‘Behind Dead Eyes’ slowing the pace a tad, but retains all of the intensity that the rest of the album holds.

Defleshed have always been a band sat in the underground with some of their prior releases seen as cult classics. It appears the seventeen-year break has worked wonders for the band as “Grind Over Matter” is a fantastic album. With their own lives and obligations outside of the band, Defleshed will only remain a part-time thing for the trio and there are currently no plans for the band to tour but it is damn good to have these guys back and judging from the songs on “Grind Over Matter”, Defleshed are pleased to be back as well.

‘Grind Over Matter’ Official Video

TRACKLISTING:
01. Bent Out Of Shape
02. Grind Over Matter
03. One Grave To Fit Them All
04. Heavy Haul
05. Dear Devil
06. Staring Blind
07. Blood Well Spent
08. Unburdened By Genius
09. Behind Dead Eyes
10. Blastbeast
11. Last Nail In The Coffin

LINE-UP:
Gustaf Jorde – Vocals, Bass
Hell Y. Hansen – Guitars
Matte Modin – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Richard Oliver and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQ’s With STINKBRUTE

EMQ’s With STINKBRUTE

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Portuguese Brutal Death Metal/ Grindcore project, Stinkbrute. Huge thanks to main man, Bernardo Rebelo, for taking part.

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

Hello, I’m Bernardo Rebelo from Stinkbrute. The band started at the end of 2020 as a bit of a joke, I composed and recorded the first half of the first album as an EP. At the time my idea was to write the most gruesome Death Metal/Grindcore I could with the most ridiculous name I came up with in the moment and it was “Stinkbrute, The Gruesome Exchange of Bodily Fluids That Turned Into a Bile Duct Titan”, later I decided to stick with just Stinkbrute and the rest for the name of the first album.

How did you come up with your band name?

The name Stinkbrute as I mentioned before was part of the original name I had for the project, but with all my ideas coming together there was another big reason I wanted this name and it has to do with how little we think of animals, specifically farmed animals. When I think of Stink-Brute all I can imagine is a pig or a cow in horrible condition, dirty all around, with anger towards humans. And after we put them in those conditions, we have the audacity to call them dirty, disgusting or stinky.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

I am from Trafaria, Portugal, on the south side of the river by Lisbon. There are a lot of great underground bands out here and if it weren’t for them maybe I wouldn’t have started playing music. We have bands like Analepsy, Serrabulho and Grog that are very notable influences to me. Besides those kinds of niche/underground bands, Portugal isn’t very known for having a lot of metal, or good music in general, so I usually end up listening to foreign bands. We do have a lot of underground and metal festivals which is great!

What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

My latest release would be Stinkbrute’s debut full length album, “The Gruesome Exchange of Bodily Fluids That Turned Into a Bile Duct Titan”. I worked a lot on that album and hope people enjoy it!

Who have been your greatest influences?

My greatest influences for the project, besides the ones mentioned earlier, would be Napalm Death, Wormrot, perhaps even Full of Hell and Aborted.

What first got you into music?

Mainly what caught my interest in music were games, one of the first I can remember was Guitar Hero Metallica, that one really made me want to play and write music of my own. As a kid every game that had an amazing soundtrack would get my undivided attention, another game that got me really into metal was Brutal Legend.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?

Barney Greenway from Napalm Death! We agree on so many things that it would be awesome to write and play some songs with him, it goes without saying that his vocal performance is one of the best in metal, so he would for sure sound brutal in the kind of music that I play.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Maybe Wacken just by the sheer popularity of the festival. That and it’s relatively close to Portugal so I wouldn’t even have to switch continents. In Portugal I would love to play in Barroselas Metalfest, I think it’s the perfect festival for Stinkbrute.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

I have yet to discover that, I haven’t got anything from a fan yet!

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Stop abusing and exploiting animals for your personal gain and/or taste pleasure!

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

If I could only pick one, I would say The Rev from Avenged Sevenfold, I feel like he died way too early, even though he was a great musician, I know he still had an immense amount of untapped potential.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

This one is a tricky question for me because lately I haven’t been able to enjoy music as much as I used to. It’s very hard to reach your goals, and when all your money goes into trying to do that, it just becomes a spiral of demotivation. I’m still young but every cent I get goes straight into my music be it for strings, drum heads, cymbals (I break them a lot), cables and taking into account that my setup is fairly minimalistic and I only own drums, one bass and one guitar this adds up in ways that I couldn’t have predicted before, not to mention promotion and art costs. If that wasn’t demotivating enough, I haven’t been able to have a stable space to keep my drums and actually practice with my bands, or record and make noise, so that’s also a big struggle for me. I have also suffered from tendinitis in the past as well as gained tinnitus from playing even though I always wear ear plugs.

Bottom line, I don’t encourage people to start bands or create music, the only reason I do it is because that’s the only thing I feel like I’m a bit good at.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

If I had to pick one aspect, it is that the music industry has to be artistic, people label themselves artists when they haven’t got anything artistic to input, any creative vision or message they want to spread, if it’s not the musicians and artists demanding change for the world, then who will? There is a reason for this to be happening, the music industry actively shadows and censors those who want a better world or have messages that don’t align with the status quo. Obviously, people who have different ideas, make others think and aren’t afraid to speak their minds are bad for profits, but the heads of the industry and those who exploit the artists already have enough money. Regardless, I think artists should stand up for the most oppressed and biggest injustices that are happening in the world instead of doing mindless audible content that is comparable to fast food.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

It’s very hard to choose since I’m always changing and listening to a lot of different stuff, you could ask me this question every year and I would have a different answer. But in the last 2 years the album that I listened to the most was “Voices” by Wormrot but “Ride The Lightning” by Metallica and “Self Titled” by Slipknot are for sure some of the most influential albums of my life.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs, or Downloads?

I really like CDs and own a lot of them, but I mostly listen to music on Streaming like Spotify.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Not the best in terms of my personal performance but one of the biggest was with my band Crimson Bridge, I’m the drummer, we played at RCA in Lisbon, it was great being on the same stage as so many other great bands played before.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

I would be developing games, as I already am but in the sound design and music sector, I went to university for Video Game development, so I learned everything from Programming to 3D and Game Design.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Barney Greenway of course, the guys from Architects, those would be 6 people but I’m not leaving any man behind from Architects! I also wouldn’t leave Connie Sgarbossa from SeeYouSpaceCowboys out!

What’s next for the band?

Next, I will try to form a band for live shows, and I am working on a few splits and a second Full Length album.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

I usually promote Bandcamp or Spotify, but most of the time it’s one link with all the important stuff.

Like this one: https://linktr.ee/slaughterindustry

Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Honestly, I am not familiar with those, they would have to make me a vegan version for me to accurately state my position on the subject.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Big thanks to Ever Metal for the interview, I hope all is well with everyone involved, including the people reading these words. Finally, never stop spreading peace, love and compassion to all beings!

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Interview with Gravehuffer

Interview with Gravehuffer
By Victor Augusto

My lack of creativity in writing introductions is nothing new for all the readers of Ever Metal (by the way I am copying this intro from my review), but today I have to repeat something that I often mention in introductions to my reviews. This is how amazing it is seeing a band’s evolution while I have the pleasure to follow them, releasing their albums, since they have formed. Of course, Gravehuffer (from Joplin, Missouri) are not a young band and they are very experienced musicians, but I am the lucky guy who has reviewed all of their albums since 2017 and I have to say that Gravehuffer is one of the most intriguing and challenging bands that I have reviewed so far.

I had the pleasure to talk with the guitarist Ritchie Randall to dig deeply on how they achieved such an amazing result on their last album “NecroEclosion”.

Victor Augusto: I confess that I tried to find the meaning of album’s title, but I couldn’t understand it. Could you explain the definition of the word NecroEclosion?

Ritchie Randall: It means to emerge from a cocoon of death. We were going through the pandemic, lost our singer and had to cancel a lot of shows at the time. It all went into the sound of the record.

Victor Augusto: NecroEclosion, for me, is a pure American album. Not that the album is just for American listeners, but it is a hard criticism of things from your country. You talk about those who stayed at sea a long time during the colonization, also about the disco music and even the NASA missions off of earth, but it’s always related to the USA. Was your intention to be focused on American history or American culture, or did it just happens naturally?

Ritchie Randall: That’s an interesting observation! I never thought of it that way. It was definitely not our intention, but it could relate to all of the upheaval going on in the United States at the time we wrote the album. So, I guess to answer your question, it happened naturally.

Victor Augusto: There is the typical acid humor that Gravehuffer always uses in the best way, as you hear in ‘Death Before Disco’. It starts with a funny version of ‘You Should Be Dancing’, from the Bee Gees, that shows the wreck that Disco music made of the music industry decades ago. It also criticizes the cocaine and other stuff involved with those who were part of the scene. I think it also shows how we have plenty of excellent and varied material here, and I am not talking about that stuff from Disco clubs, that could make Robocop (with rusty hinges) dance like hell! Could you talk about this sense of humour and about this song?

Ritchie Randall: I think we always have that cheeky sense of humour going on throughout all of our records. How it manifests into a song can vary a lot though. Mike (Jilge), our bassist, has been wanting to do the ‘Death Before Disco’ idea as long as I can remember. We’re talking since the late 90’s! He learned the bass line for the Bee Gees song and so at that point, we had to do it ha ha ha! It was a lot of fun to step out of our comfort zone for a minute there. Travis came up with the idea for the lyrics to be about the disco culture of the 70’s and how it tried to ruin the music scene.

Victor Augusto: You also talks about serious historical subject for example in ‘Ghost Dance’, which is about the mass killing of the Native Americans in the USA. The backing vocals, like the ghost of the indigenous ancestors screaming for help to anyone who could stand and fight. Melodies bring the feeling of a ‘last breath of hope’ amongst all the chaos that sadly didn’t save them from the coward’s killing. Was the band’s intention to bring all these emotions for the song?

Ritchie Randall: Yes, it was. We had the subject matter of the Wounded Knee Massacre already picked for a song, and we wrote the music to specifically fit with what happened. It was very emotional to write. It’s something that means a lot to us, being from the United States. We haven’t always treated people the best ever though we’re a nation of immigrants. Travis (McKenzie – Vocals) once again came up with the lyrics and really did a fantastic job! We let a few of our Native American friends listen to it before it was released, and they really thought we did that part of their history justice.

Victor Augusto: ‘Custom Of The Sea’ also has a serious subject. It is about those who stayed at sea a long time during the colonization. Many people went mad and died. By the way it is a perfect song to understand the bands sonority! Could you explain this track?

Ritchie Randall: Sure, it’s about cannibalism at sea and how it was basically allowed until a trial outlawed it. We just thought it sounded like such an intense thing to go through! I saw an article on the internet about it and wanted the band to write a song that put you in the headspace of the people who were living through it. We had no idea that took place back then. It was actually called the ‘custom of the sea’ and it happened very regularly. If the sailors ran out of rations, they would kill the people who were the sickest and eat them.

Victor Augusto: Musically, you are not restricted to only one genre and you are getting heavier with each album release, even though you keep your main spirit of Crust / Hardcore and Thrash Metal. For example: ‘Quarantine Death Machine’ reminds me of Sepultura when playing Hardcore. ‘Smaller Than Death’ has a Doomy side. ‘Stingray’ is more Punk Rock in style, but it is very heavy as well. Gravehuffer is a band that always wants to surprise their fans. What makes you always want to play whatever you want, no matter the style?

Ritchie Randall: Thanks! We basically write how we are feeling at that particular time and it translates to the sound of the music. Sometimes we are feeling in a good mood, sometimes we are angry, sometimes we are bummed out, it just depends on what is happening in our lives at that time. The only rule in this band is there are no rules!

Victor Augusto: This new album is pretty organic and raw, of course it is amazingly well recorded. It is funny because in an age that most of the bands prefer to do a much-digitalized production, you went against this trend. Is it a pattern for Gravehuffer or do you think that the compositions asked for this raw production?

Ritchie Randall: Thank you once again! It’s a little bit of both actually. We come from the era of bands that had that more raw production. There are times when we will hear a band with polished production and then see them live and they sound nothing like their record. We want our live sound to translate to our albums. We’re a loud, aggressive, and intense band and we want the production to match that.

Victor Augusto: It is funny because I’ve already heard the album, to review, since October or September of 2020. I took a long time to listen to it because I was involved with other things in the end of the last year. But I clearly remember the post of a review that totally showed a person who didn’t understand the band’s idea and talked a lot of crazy things. It pissed me off and made me want to go deeper into this album to write the best review ever that I could, considering my limitations ha ha ha ha! How do you handle with these kinds of things coming from magazines and people connected to journalism?

Ritchie Randall: Your review is fantastic and also we appreciate that you think highly of the album to include on your 2021 albums of the year list! Bad reviews are rare for us thankfully, but when they do happen, they tend to be a little bit short sighted. They don’t really ‘get’ what we are doing it seems. That’s OK really. We understand we’re not for everyone. There was one that we made an example of because they got a little bit personal in the review and that’s not cool. Other than that, we don’t mind. We just appreciate that people are taking the time to listen and write their thoughts about our music!

Victor Augusto: We first meet each other when we were at Sare’s Invasion radio show. By the way Sara was the person who told me about Ever Metal. Since then, I have reviewed all of Gravehuffer’s albums and you don’t leave more than 2 years without a new release. How is the composition process working to have so much good material in a short spaces of time?

Ritchie Randall: Yeah it’s been great being a part of the family at Sare’s Invasion! We are always writing, practically every couple of weeks we’ll have new ideas to present to each other. Our phones and computers have hundreds of riffs, lyrics, melodies, beats, you name it! We have stuff from 7 or 8 years ago still sitting around. We may use it, we may not, but it’s nice to have that wealth of material to have at our disposal.

Victor Augusto: You started touring just in this year, after all issues from COVID during 2020 and 2021. How are the shows so far? Do you have any intention to tour outside of the US, such as a European tour?

Ritchie Randall: The shows have been good. A few great ones too! Attendance is still on the lower side, but I think people are just being cautious and that’s OK. Regardless, we have a blast and love meeting new people and playing our music for them! We do plan to play outside the US, it’s just the cost and timing that we have to figure out, but we are actively pursuing it!

Victor Augusto: Over all these years playing in a band, what was the band’s achievement which made you feel most proud of that’s worth all the hard work so far?

Ritchie Randall: Probably putting out vinyl. That was something I never thought I would do! It’s always been one of the dreams! NecroEclosion in particular. Just wait for our next record. It’s really going to raise the bar! We can’t wait for people to hear it!

Victor Augusto: Thanks for your time. I really hope to see you in concert someday. For sure I will be on the front row and screaming whilst you play, like the stupid crazy fan that I am. Please let your us know your final considerations for your fans and for Ever Metal’s readers, also the plans for the future.

Ritchie Randall: Thank you for the insightful questions! This was a lot of fun! We would LOVE to play Brazil! Wow that would be amazing! As far as the future, we are finishing up this new record that has a 21-minute epic song about Dante’s Divine Comedy, and another side of our crazy antics. Kam Lee from Massacre and James Murphy (Death, Testament, Obituary, Cancer, etc.) is playing lead guitar on the Dante song! Many more shows as well! Cheers!

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Victor Augusto and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Napalm Death – Resentment Is Always Seismic- A Final Throw Of Throes

Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes Album Cover Art

Napalm Death – Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes
Century Media Records
Release Date: 11/02/2022
Running Time: 29:00
Review by Rory Bentley
8/10

Crafting a great album is a monumental undertaking for any artist regardless of their virtuosity, legendary status or previous successes. There are multiple hurdles that need to be jumped in order to produce a masterpiece that combines innovation with cohesion, to push boundaries while maintaining a structural integrity that allows the work to be consumed as a fully formed journey.

The content is of course the most important aspect of a great piece of work, however to push an album from an excellent effort to a classic often comes down to what gets left on the cutting room floor. Sometimes, as the old adage goes, you must ‘kill your darlings’ to avoid bloat and listener fatigue.

I’m a big proponent of brutal self-editing to achieve the most impact from a project, and one of my most common bugbears is an album being too long, regardless of the quality of songs contained within. The more tragic aspect of this necessity is that great music has to fall by the wayside in service of a more palatable body of work. Some songs may have been axed because they disrupt the flow of an album but that doesn’t mean they’re not outstanding in their own right, which is where the mini album / EP comes in to save the day and stop these hidden gems from dying in obscurity. Converge, Cult of Luna and Code Orange (that’s three ticks if you’re playing Bentley Bingo at home) have all released various companion pieces consisting of offcuts from the fruitful sessions that formed their respective recent masterworks- and I’m very much here for it!

Napalm Death’s last record, 2020’s “Throes Of Joy In The Jaws of Defeatism”, was a lean, efficient beast that threw a lot of new tricks into their sound while still retaining the savagery of old; it was bloody fantastic and just the right length for everything to still draw blood right the way to the final track. But they clearly had more gas in the tank and a glut of material left over, which leads us to “Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes”.

Far from being a tedious odd and sods package (still haven’t forgiven Mastodon for “Medium Rarities”) this mini-album sees the grindcore legends leaning further into the Killing Joke and Swans influences explored on “Throes…” on tracks like ‘Amoral’ and devastating closer ‘A Belly Full of Salt and Spleen’, while throwing in some fun covers.

Those that are concerned that Barney and the boys are leaving their brutal side on the back burner will be pleased to know that ‘Narcissus’ and ‘By Proxy’ will fully satisfy their bloodlust. The former features crushing doom chords, a frantic d-beat section and scathing blast beats combined with a positively apoplectic Barney Greenway bellowing with righteous indignation. The latter features Shane Embury on lead vocals, screeching like a horrible little troglodyte as he tag teams with Barney over a backdrop of one of the most filthy and distinctive bass tones in all of metal.

The atmospheric Swans-influenced terror the band have perfected over recent releases makes its presence felt on the demonic swathes of droning distortion and choral chants of ‘Resentment Always Simmers’, where a kinetic chorus riff sucks everything back into razor focus just at the point the song pushes to breaking point. Meanwhile the title track unleashes a nightmarish funeral dirge without providing the sweet release of a nice familiar face-punching riff.

These journeys into new territory could sound awkward were it not for the band’s compositional discipline and Barney’s newly adopted commanding baritone clean vocals, which recall Killing Joke’s Jaz Coleman in full apocalyptic preacher mode, as demonstrated in the grandiose outro of ‘Man Bites Dogged’.

The breakneck cover of Bad Brain’s ‘Don’t Need It’ sounds exactly as you’d imagine it to, meanwhile the band’s take on Slab!’s ‘People Pie’ is an intriguing curio. Listening to Barney go full cyber-goth over industrial beats while doing a semi-rap in the most Birmingham accent imaginable is genuinely bizarre, but I have to say I don’t dislike it! Plus Shane’s bass is gleefully obnoxious here, strings buzzing and slapping to the song’s decadent groove.

Although I can’t honestly say this bite-sized treat of a mini album is as essential as their towering full length efforts of the last decade, it is something I can heartily recommend to devotees of these legendary masters of aural assault. With Napalm Death taking longer between albums to build new worlds of apocalyptic majesty, “Resentment…” is the perfect way to tide rabid fans like myself over until the next full length turns up and takes 99% of extreme bands to school all over again.

Napalm Death are still just as savage, just as fearless and just as brilliant as they were when they turned music on its head with “Scum” over three decades ago. They’re still the apex predators and long may they continue.

‘Narcissus’ Official Audio

TRACKLISTING:
01. Narcissus
02. Resentment Always Simmers
03. By Proxy
04. People Pie (cover version)
05. Man Bites Dogged
06. Slaver Through A Repeat Performance
07. Don’t Need it (cover version)
08. Resentment is Always Seismic (Dark Sky Burial Dirge)

LINE-UP:
Barney Greenway – Lead vocals
Shane Embury- Bass / backing vocals
Danny Herrera – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Stheno – Wardance

Stheno – Wardance
7 Degrees Records/Chaos & Hell Productions
Release Date: 08/10/2021
Running Time: 24:12
Review By Victor Augusto
8/10

I don’t know the daily mood of those who listen to Heavy Metal and read the amazing Ever Metal reviews (except my reviews because all parents are afraid to have their kids scared by what I write), but my mind is a bit complicated to understand sometimes. Some say that I am the kind of person who must have an installation CD and manual together to understand how I work. I totally agree with them. One example of how confused I am could be illustrated when I pick up albums from different genres to review just because I am in a strange mood that day. Stheno was one of those victims on a day that I really wanted to whip myself. For sure, the mood doesn’t represent the band or the album.

What made me interested in their album was the description of them being a mix of Grindcore and Black Metal. Yes, I love Grindcore, despite the fact I don’t often review bands that play it. Nevertheless, I am not a huge fan of all Black Metal bands I hear. For my miserable luck, it is something between Extreme Noise Terror being played by Marduk. Guess what? I love those two bands, so I was relieved when I heard Stheno for this review.

The kick ass way the album opens with ‘Bestial Battalion’ was enough to make me enjoy the album. This brief song finishes ad the next ‘RPG’ starts. You will see this pattern for the entire 24 minutes of listening. Fast and short songs that suddenly finish without a breath and then another insane track kicks in, just as brutal as the song before. On every track, you get strong and fast riffs shot in your face at the speed of a bullet and the blast beats provide the same sensation. However, the main achievement is how the band combined this wall of music with heavy arrangements and still managed to get a crystal-clear sound from it.

It is very hard to describe them. Stheno provide short and extremely brutal songs for the listeners. Everything is extremely fast and almost too brief. The sudden way that all the songs finish, is impressive after all the demolition from the previous 2-3 minutes. Probably, it shows what they want to give to their fans. The sensation of a band that doesn’t care about anything.

Yes, this exact sensation. A band who doesn’t care about anything, but don’t confuse that with a band who has bad songs or lame compositions. No, it is quite the opposite. The fast riffs allied with incredible breakdowns on the drums, e.g., on the intro to ‘Dishonored Bodybag’, shows how incredible they are. Maybe the best definition is how they are not chained to the musical industry patterns and just want to offer a killer set of fast and devastating songs!

Well, they certainly achieved that. “Wardance” is incredibly brutal, fast and brief. All songs have the same structure, but everything is hugely well recorded and played, which offers a paradox about the sensation for what to expect from a dirty Grind/Black crossover. Is it Grind? Yes, It is! Is it Black? Not so Black as Grind, but it still is! Is it good? Yes, it is extremely good, as it is brutal! So, please enjoy this short piece of violence from this Greek three-piece band!

“Wardance” (Full Album Audio)

TRACKLISTING:
01. Bestial Battalion
02. RPG
03. Deadly Camouflage
04. Fire!
05. Snake Eater
06. Zulu Time
07. Snafu (This time…we die!!)
08. Dishonored Bodybag
09. Military Discharge
10. Bite the Bullet
11. Bellum Internecinum

LINE-UP:
Leonidas D. – Guitars, Bass
Christian Chaco – Vocals
Vaggelis – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Victor Augusto and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Anaal Nathrakh – Reissues

Anaal Nathrakh – Reissues
When Fire Rains Down From The Sky Mankind Will Reap What It Has Sown/
Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 13/08/2021
Running Time: 26:03/33:52
Review by Dark Juan
10/10
10/10

Good afternoon, dear friends. You find me writing this review from the depths of my bed of pain and iniquity. Yes, I am slightly off colour, but my dramatic persona insists that these are my final fleeting moments upon this scabrous planet. However, I was well enough to go to the pictures last night so clearly whatever malaise I am currently suffering isn’t all that threatening to my existence, or indeed my output for Ever-Metal.com. Added to the already calamitous news that I am clearly at death’s door is that fact that I have run out of milk for brews. This is an absolute scandal in the North of England, and my shame is such that I have closeted myself away in my oak-panelled study with a bottle of brandy and a stiletto. My undoing is complete.

However, before I dispatch myself from this mortal coil bearing the stigma of not being able to make proper brews, I must share with you my ruminations upon the music I am listening to, which frankly is what you’re here for, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard “GET OUT OF BED, YOU BLOODY SOFTARSE, BEFORE I GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO REALLY WHINGE ABOUT. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? BRONTE COUNTRY? ONLY THE LASSES IN THOSE CRAPPY BOOKS ARE ALLOWED TO SWOON ALL OVER THE FURNITURE AND TAKE THEMSELVES TO BED TO MOPE, YOU FUCKING MALINGERER!” Tilley has just been escorted at the point of a rapier from my bedchamber by Mrs Dark Juan and Hodgson Biological-Warfare, who had embedded his teefs in Rick’s arse and was hanging on for dear life. Such is life in Dark Juan Terrace. For reasons of verisimilitude, I must point out that Rick hasn’t been round our gaff, Hodgson doesn’t make a point of attacking visitors and Mrs Dark Juan made me a rather lovely, cooked breakfast this morning and doesn’t really know the finer points of swordplay. Rick also isn’t THAT mean and basically allows me to get away with loads considering EM is his baby, so all in all I’m winning here… (I’m glad you cleared that up – Rick)

So, without even the slightest attempt at a segue into matters musical, let me talk about the latest reissues from Metal Blade, and more specifically Anaal Nathrakh. If you don’t know who these British extreme metal legends are by now, I suggest you rectify this immediately by buying their entire back catalogue and subjecting the inside of your head to possibly the most extreme band the UK has ever had to offer. If there were ever a band that were the epitome of recorded fury, it is Anaal Nathrakh. The song ‘Never Fucking Again’ is not music. It’s several minutes of sheer, untrammelled hatred towards everything and everyone. Kim Jong fucking Un would surrender North Korea in seconds. General Noriega would have given up in Panama after about a minute of Anaal Nathrakh being blasted at him from a US Army helicopter. I’m sure if V.I.T.R.I.O.L. saw a room full of the world’s cutest puppies and kittens and had had a blow job to completion moments before seeing the cute animals, he would still write a song that sounds like him machine gunning a host of devils in a locked room until they were basically liquid, ably backed by Irrumator basically killing every musical instrument that he has ever possessed.

“When Fire Rains Down From The Sky, Mankind Will Reap What It Has Sown” is first up, and it’s still as fucking amazing as it ever was. I know I have banged on about reissues being cynical cash grabs in the past, but that’s not necessarily true in these post-COVID times, where bands are having to clutch at every single straw of funding just to survive, so everyone re-releasing stuff is getting a big fat pass, plus the quality of the vinyl that is being produced is pretty stunning. Anyway, “Fire” (it’s far too long a title to keep typing in full) is quite simply brutality distilled into musical form. It just doesn’t let up, ever. Irrumator and V.I.T.R.I.O.L have never sounded so violent. It is unapologetic hate music and it is fucking brilliant. Every single song is faster than the USS Enterprise at Warp 9 and more violent than a pack of drunken Glaswegians fighting an equally drunken pack of Russians, being egged on by a bunch of Wrexham chavs. The fallout is spectacular, and this record never fucking FAILS in taking my breath away. Still as vibrant and exciting as it ever was (I got the original on release day, thought that a number of years of listening to black metal would make it palatable, and was slightly dismissive of the power of the band. How FUCKING WRONG I WAS!) and THE benchmark for British extreme music. Not even The Machinist come close to Anaal Nathrakh for sheer sonic Armageddon. It is the perfect extreme record. The standout song (now there’s a loose description of what Anaal Nathrakh do) will always be ‘Never Fucking Again’. It is the PERFECT distillation of the sheer hatred and misanthropy I feel towards some aspects of the human condition. I fucking ADORE “When Fire Rains Down From The Sky, Mankind Will Reap As They Have Sown” and I am stoked that it has been released again, because it is absolutely one of my favourite records of all time. Buy it and have your brains cudgelled to soup.

I also have the reissue of “Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here”. Erm, chaps, they are only here because Satan let you play a gig in Hell and all the devils fucked off up here because you scared the living shit out of them and they fled. Ever seen a devil piss himself in fear? I have, and that was because of you two, Irrumator and V.I.T.R.I.O.L. You magnificent bastards. Anyhow, this record is where the blueprint of maximum attack, howling sheer bloody murder and music that is banned under the Geneva Convention as cruel and unusual punishment changes. Anaal Nathrakh discovered clean singing, industrial and tempos below 1000000bpm. Did this change the savagery level from nuclear holocaust down to fluffy bunny? Did it FUCK! The band are still just as focused and nihilistic, from the first second of ‘Solifugae’, being a minute of crushing guitar work that launches the first actual song ‘Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen’ (“Hell’s Vengeance Boils In My Heart” and the proper name of the Queen Of The Night aria in The Magic Flute opera. You’re welcome) which has a grandiose, operatic feel through V.I.T.R.I.O.L discovering that his vocal chords can be used for other things besides aural savagery and actually having a bloody good blast at actual singing. This gives the album more musical interest than previous recordings and allows the song to take you places Anaal Nathrakh have never been before. It’s fucking glorious. ‘Screaming Of The Unborn’ is also interesting, because it has mid-paced (for Anaal Nathrakh) sections and V.I.T.R.I.O.L’s usual murderous scream gives way to a sepulchral and extremely threatening roar with considerable numbers of people shitting themselves in abject, brown trousered fear. ‘Virus Bomb’ returns to the hyperspeed (and demented, homicidal howling) we all love Anaal Nathrakh for and mates this with a chorus and middle eight Emperor would have given Samoth’s testicles for with more of the same choral sounding clean singing as the first song. Purists won’t like the fact that they decided on a bit of, well, slightly less dark and obsidian, cloying black, rather than just the sound of Hell’s mechanised and armoured regiments screaming from the dark. But I do.

Both records have the kind of production that black metal does not normally employ. Anaal Nathrakh do not sound like they have been recorded in an interstellar fishbowl hurtling around Mars with equipment made from tin cans and string. Both albums have a rich, full sound that only enhances the bitter, vitriolic hatred that passes for their music and makes them a cut above 99% of most black metal releases. I never understood why black metal bands stuck to the wasp in a jam jar sound when they were much more powerful with a proper production job.

Anyway, it’s no secret I fucking love Anaal Nathrakh and I am fucking delighted to be writing about them, and I abjure thee to buy these reissues (both on vinyl of many colours as well as CD) because they are awesome.

The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System has finally stopped the bleeding and the leakage of brain matter from the nose and awards Anaal Nathrakh 10/10 for both records. The very best that Britain has to offer. Absolutely uncompromising and irreplaceable.

TRACKLISTINGS:
When Fire Rains Down From The Sky, Mankind Will Reap What It Has Sown:
01. Cataclysmic Nihilism
02. How The Angels Fly In (We Can Never Be Forgiven)
03. Never Fucking Again
04. Genesis Of The Antichrist
05. Atavism
06. When Fire Falls From The Sky, Mankind Will Reap What It Has Sown

Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here:
01. Solifugae (Intro)
02. Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen
03. Screaming Of The Unborn
04. Virus Bomb
05. The Final Absolution
06. Shatter The Empyrean
07. Lama Sabatchthani
08. Until The World Stop Turning
09. Genetic Noose
10. Sanction Extremis (Kill Them All)
11. Castigation And Betrayal

LINE-UP:
V.I.T.R.I.O.L (Dave Hunt) – Vocals
Irrumator (Mick Kenney) – Everything Else

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of ‘Dark Juan’ and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Putrid Offal – Live at Hellfest 2017

Putrid Offal – Live at Hellfest 2017
Xenokorp
Release Date: 13/11/2020
Running Time: 28:15
Review by Rick Eaglestone
7/10

It doesn’t need me to point out the obvious reasons why there hasn’t been much live music year and I know that I’m not the only one who marked up their calendar in 2019, ready for all the festivals this year, only to either cross them off or forget to do that and when the time comes to reveal the next month seeing the reminder of what could’ve been…

Yes, there’s been livestreams, but even then they haven’t been entirely straight forward so when I threw my hat into the pot to join the Ever Metal family I was very pleased indeed to learn the band I had chosen to review have a newly released live album as I had only been playing their latest studio album “Sickness Obsessions” last month. In fact, the latest studio album contains a DVD with the full set of this show.

It is highly fitting that Putrid Offal chose this show as it their home country after all. The album wastes no time starting, it is straight in with the frenzied ‘Livor Mortis’ and the gut wrenching ‘Purulent Cold’.

The lead single from latest album ‘Let There Be Rot’ slices back into 2015 and revisits the track ‘From Plasma To Embalming’.

The absolute highlight for me is hearing ‘Repulsive Corpse’ I love the guitar work on this track it’s been my favourite track of theirs since I first heard it, and nothing has changed.

Skull Pounding alert here for ‘Necrotic Mutilation’ which is followed by shortest track of the album ‘Gurgling Prey’ which has drumming very reminiscent of incredibly early Slayer and both ‘Rotted Flesh’ and ‘Organic Excavation’ have a great death gore throwback feel to them. Finally, the set ends with a short savage attack in the form of ‘Suffering’.

For a live album “Live At Hellfest 2017” is incredibly short but having watched the actual live performance it is the full set, as it was performed. This is a shame as I would’ve liked to hear a few tracks from the early splits, in particular ‘Obscurum Per Obscurius’ and maybe a little more crowd noise/interaction for the real live feel.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Livor Mortis
2. Purulent Cold
3. Let There Be Rot
4. From Plasma to Embalming
5. Repulsive Corpse 2:51
6. Necrotic Mutilation
7. Gurgling Prey
8. Rotted Flesh
9. Organic Excavation
10. Suffering

LINE-UP:
Franck Peiffer – Vocals
Philippe Reinhalter – Guitars
Frédéric Houriez – Bass
Laye Louhenapessy – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rick Eaglestone and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Concede – Indoctrinate

Concede – Indoctrinate
Petrichor Records
Release Date: 23/06/2020
Running Time: 22:44
Review by Steven Hooke
7/10

After a succession of EP’s and splits under the Concede moniker, multi-instrumentalist and project leader Jay Huxtable enlists the talents of End It All frontman Peter Emms for the debut album from the Australian powerviolence troop.

The terms “laid-back” and “relaxed” need not apply here.

“Indoctrinate” is a viperous, angry vortex of punishing pace, bleak nihilism, and a multitude of riffs that would make Scott Hull proud. The album doesn’t even bother with a dedicated intro track of static noise or a spooky man telling you you’re gonna die or something, it’s just a bit of feedback and boom, you’re in. Strap in for nearly 23 minutes of getting your head kicked in.

The album rarely – if ever – allows you time to catch your breath, bounding from one bite-sized burst of intensity to another, with only one song out of the 15 breaking two minutes. In those little blasts though, the one thing that can be consistently identified is the quality of the guitar work on show. Many a grind/powerviolence group come and go and sacrifice creativity and ideas in the name of speed, resulting in a drab mess that’s only exciting for the first two minutes. Cheaper than getting married I suppose…

But dem riffs bound their way through the tortured screams and sodomised snare to add a little depth to the proceedings. First major highlight on the album ‘Through The Teeth’ seems to have taken inspiration from Napalm Death’s ‘Time Waits For No Slave’ whilst ‘Misgiven’ has a definite air of Nails about it, and ‘Bottom Feeder’ doesn’t immediately sound like any particular grind/powerviolence royalty, but it does slap real fucking hard.

On the musical side of things, “Indoctrinate” does hold itself up pretty well. The guitars as mentioned go hard, Emms sounds wickedly marvellous in his delivery and the overall production handles itself pretty damn well. There’s never a moment when a particular layer sounds washed out or too overzealous.

But the biggest thing holding Concede back in these early stages is that they’re already pigeon-holing themselves. That constant barrage of sound with no deferring to a slower pace, experimental idea or even a different drum beat makes the album drag at times even with its short run time. Every song even starts the same with a squeal of feedback.

Taking Nail’s 2016 album “You Will Never Be One Of Us” as an example, on track one, the focus is more on the groove and the vocal hook, track two is the frenetic blast, three is an almost portmanteau of the previous tracks, four is back to the intense blast beast and then five almost becomes a metal song with how much it leans on that riff. With “Indoctrinate”, the only step outside the comfort zone comes right at the very end with final track ‘One With The Earth’, a five minute plus track that is basically Dream Theater compared to the rest of the album. But, with the diversity in the song – slower, groovier pace, and multiple, more elaborate riffs – shows that Concede have the mettle to pull something more substantial off and incorporate it more into future releases.

23 minutes of Concede is as cathartic a release as they come. While some will like the zero-reprieve approach to “Indoctrinate”, others will want that brief pause to dust themselves off and pick up their teeth. But the performances from Emms’ vocals and Huxtable’s guitar and production are not to be sniffed, nor too his lyrical writings. A nice, plump serving of white-hot anger, nihilism and anti-government if you don’t mind.

But Hell, even the bleep test has a rest period.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Indoctrinate
02. Through The Teeth
03. Brainwash
04. Burn In Your Own Hell
05. You Ruin Me
06. Proselytize
07. Misgiven
08. No Certainty
09. Influence
10. Baited
11. Deliver
12. Bottom Feeder
13. Conditioned
14. Plagued
15. One With The Earth

LINE-UP:
Peter Emms – Lead Vocals
Jay Huxtable – All Instruments, Additional Vocals

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Steven Hooke and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQ’s with DEATH SLAM

EMQ’s with DEATH SLAM

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Taguatinga, Brazil based Grindcore band, Death Slam. Huge thanks to them for taking part!

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

First, I want to thank you for the important space given to the band. Thank you very much. I’m Fellipe CDC and I scream like crazy at Death Slam, a band that was formed on October 4th, 1990 on the corner of the street where I live. Since the first day, our intention remains the same, to make short songs that merge death metal with hardcore and, with it, unite metalheads, punk rock and hardcore fans.

How did you come up with your band name?

Actually, We were organizing the band’s first performance and we didn’t have a name at that time. I suggested that the name of the festival was Death Slam, but the other members liked the name and we ended up using it to ‘christen’ the band.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

Brazil! We are from a town called Taguatinga, a city near Brasília, the capital of our country. The underground scene has great bands and many lovers of good underground music.

What is your last release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)

There is a music video for the song ‘Mundo de Horrores’. YouTube also has some shows. Our last release has been a while and it was a Split CD with the Grindcore band ROT. We have about 30 songs recorded, and another 30 new songs not yet recorded.

‘Mundo de Horrores’

https://www.facebook.com/deathslambrazil/videos/2160556064260358/

Who have been your greatest influences?

There are many, come on: Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Extreme Noise Terror, Doom, ROT, Cryptic Slaughter, Benediction, R.D.P., among many other bands. They have been and they still are influences for me.

What first got you into music?

I never learnt how to play anything. I tried to play bass, but it was a disaster. Before Death Slam, I did vocals for the bands Cursed and HCS. However, long before the first band, I edited fanzines. I was a correspondent for United Forces Fanzine and then edited Metal Blood along with my friends Rolldão (Kill Again Records) and Claúdio.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

One band? Here it is. Napalm Death! With a musician? This person would be Tony Iommi.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Certainly, the Obscene Extreme. There is the paradise of noise!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Fan? What the hell is that? I don’t have any fans! (Victor here. Yes, you have many fans). Once a person gave me a sweaty shirt, stinking a lot. I accepted it just to be polite. However, after soaking with water and a lot of soap, I ended up wearing the shirt. I used it so much that it tore all up!

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Two messages: “Where are you?” or “Welcome!”

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Just one? Not fair! Tough choice. If it’s just one, it has to be the old Lemmy.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

I hate it when I have an idea for a song, and I can’t play it. And I like it when people like the music I make. But it’s okay if you don’t like the music too.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

I would put radio and TVs all over the world to play heavy music on their schedules, without the bands being forced to pay for it.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

There are many records that are part of my history and my life, but if you have to choose only one will have to be the “Vol. 4” of Black Sabbath, for having been the first one I’ve bought.

What’s better? Vinyl, cassettes, CD’s or downloads?

Vinyl! Without a question about it!

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Death Slam was very lucky to have done several very good and unforgettable shows, difficult to choose the best!

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

I would continue in music without any doubts in the world, no matter if it is editing fanzines, producing shows/festivals, and doing my radio show, things I do beyond my career as a failed “musician”.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Iommi, Ozzy, Geezer, Bill Ward and Jello Biafra. I’m afraid they won’t stay so long on earth anymore!

What’s next for the band?

Finish the process of record and release a new CD.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

I’m bad with technology, but the people made our channel on YouTube, Bandcamp and also an Instagram. I don’t have any social media and don’t know how they work, but I know they’re extremely important tools for dissemination of our music. Nowadays it has several online radios and also e-zines and we promote the band through these valuable channels as well.

www.facebook.com/deathslambrazil/
www.youtube.com/channel/UC6kjcMqL43sLJJ91ZXACz8Q
www.instagram.com/deathslambrasil/
www.deathslambr.bandcamp.com/
fellipecdc@gmail.com

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

It was supposed to be a cake, but the cook was crazy with LSD, missed the ingredients, left the cake, and ended up turning into a hideous mix of cake and biscuit. Hahahaha

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Thank you for the opportunity and the valuable space. Please continue to encourage underground bands around the world. Take care and, after this pandemic finishes, return to the shows and support the independent bands. Death Slam is: Fellipe CDC (vocals), Adélcio (guitar), Ademir (drums) and Itazil (bass and vocals).

Victor here. Fellipe CDC is a legendary person in the Heavy Metal scene in our city (Brasília-DF). He not only plays in three bands (Death Slam, Terror Revolucionário and Caligo), he promotes all bands and people connected to them, since the 1990’s. He produces a great festival called ‘Headbangers Attack’ that opens space for young bands and famous ones too. He never repeats bands at this fest and all shows or festivals he produces; He offers a good sound, backline for all bands, no matter how famous they are. Punctuality is another positive aspect of his shows.

While local producers compete with each other and just boycott other festivals, Fellipe does the opposite. He spreads the flyers of the shows and he goes to every concert to see the bands, no matter who is producing the concert.

Some old local musicians tell that he carried albums from other bands to exchange in others cities every time he traveled and a few of these actions helped bands to became more famous after signing contracts or scheduling important shows, all thanks to him. Therefore, Mr. CDC has many fans and he is an inspiration, at least for people, like me, that want to do serious work and love this music.

He is a humble person who gives his soul for underground music! Thanks You CDC!

Olivia Neutered John – Gorewhore

Olivia Neutered John – Gorewhore
Blackened Death Records
Release Date: 18/05/2020
Running Time: Fuck knows as Media Player won’t tell me.
(Rick Here – It’s actually 42:15)
Review by Dark Juan
(As if it could be anyone else with a band name as superb as Olivia Neutered John)
Score: 9/10

Good evening, dear hearts. It is I, Dark Juan and I have returned from my sojourns among the tormented and the weak, bringing the gospel of our dread lord Satan to toffs and gentry, to bring you the thoughts and wisdom that only I can provide to you. OK, I’m lying. What I actually am is very drunk and going to write about some music I am listening to after I have recounted a possibly witty (but by no means likely) anecdote about one of my fucknugget dogs, for Sir Zeusington Zeus KCVG, VC, MM, DFC and Bar has tried once again to top himself by eating things that are not food. Having done the full-on dying swan for the forty-eight hours I was at work looking after vulnerable children (Yes, that is my career path. What do you mean I shouldn’t be trusted with vulnerable kids? FUCK YOU CROSSWAYS!! I AM BOTH DILIGENT AND RESPONSIBLE!!) He once more, (after a ridiculously expensive visit to the vet which fucking crippled me financially for the month AGAIN…) made a fucking miraculous recovery after I returned home from work. I mean, it’s not like I don’t have enough stress when I’m at work is it? He is currently laid next to me alternating between snoring and farting. The absolute twat.

In an effort to rid myself of residual dog stress, I am currently really pissing off Mrs. Dark Juan by fucking blasting “Gorewhore” by Olivia Neutered John and cavorting around the room like a… well, like a drunken dickhead to be honest. Judging by the increasingly loud and insistent pounding on the wall from my esteemed new neighbours Chloe and Chris they too are enjoying this record mightily.

Having read many of the words I commit to the ether, you lot out there will be well acquainted with my love of early Carcass, and I am pleased to report that ONJ (Neutered is too difficult a word to spell right now because I brewed some homebrew and I got it wrong and it appears that I have brewed an entirely new kind of alcoholic beverage that robs you of all feeling in your extremities and your face while bringing on cases of excessive verbiage and frankly talking bollocks. It was supposed to be beer. It really isn’t) happily bring back the spirit of those once youthful Scousers with added political nous. Yes, ONJ provide you with feminist goregrind. This is something Dark Juan is behind in a fucking big way, being as I am a feminist through and through.

Imagine “Symphonies Of Sickness” era Carcass with a production job that was done properly as opposed to sounding like the recording rig was composed of RSJs, yogurt and spiders. There, you now have an idea of the sound of Olivia Neutered John. Everything is well produced except the drums fade in and out of the mix quite noticeably, especially when the tempo increases and the vocals are fast. However, considering ONJ are a one-man band this small detail can be overlooked because Dick “Bastard” Weeks is a metric fuckton more talented than I am. His vocals run the full range from acidic screams to the deepest and most sepulchral grunt, his guitar and bass playing workmanlike and satisfying to all except the most discerning gorehound (personally I love the fact that the guitars are no holds barred pure goregrind slamming) and the drumming rapid and precise. Mr. Bastard also follows the grindcore blueprint of short, murderous blasts of songs with little to no subtlety and this is to his considerable advantage. The songs are pure, unadulterated rage, spitting viciously from your speakers. This is goddamned angry metal designed to do two things – make you think and to take your fucking face off. It’s violent and ugly stuff. Song titles like ‘Anal In The House Of The Lord’ (my hatred for organised religion is well known and utterly uncompromising) and ‘Unanesthetised Gelding With A Brand Name Food Processor’ (hilarious, extremely painful sounding yet disturbingly graphic) leave you with no illusions about the fact that Mr. Bastard is a) a man with serious and potentially lethal personality defects and b) that he agrees with Dark Juan that most men are absolute animals and must be culled.

Disclaimer: NOT ALL MEN ARE ANIMALS AND MUST BE CULLED. This is important. Just most of them. Especially if they wear Burberry, leisurewear or hats in an unacceptable fashion, the shocking tarts. Or are members of the Bullingdon Club. Execute those upper-class motherfuckers without mercy or pity, the pig head fucking wankers. It is your civic duty and Dark Juan expects results, not excuses.

It’s hard to pick highlights to this record, as the songs are concentrated blasts of condensed fury, rarely lasting more than two minutes in the finest traditions of grind and splattercore and neatly referencing a genre sadly lacking in new and exciting talent. Olivia Neutered John are truly exciting to me as they are of the genre that got me into the more extreme forms of metal, that being grindcore. Carcass and Napalm Death are gods to me and Olivia Neutered John are (is? ONJ is a one-man band after all) a splendid and relevant addition to the pantheon of greatness that those two bands are part of.

To summarise then, ONJ are fucking spectacular. Everything good about goregrind has been updated and brought into the 21^st century and combined with a political message that frankly every motherfucker should get behind in the name of equality, even if some of the solutions Mr. Bastard sings about might be a teensy-weensy bit too violent and blood-soaked for society at large to accept. Granted the band have a DIY sound that references the punk aesthetic of the 70’s and a slightly dodgy production, but ONJ bring back to me the joy of discovering new levels of extremity in extreme music.

I fucking love Olivia Neutered John. Well done, Mr. Bastard, well done indeed.

The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System has been reminded why grindcore is great. 9/10. A splendid record. Especially for its timely and worthy politics as much as the violence and savagery. Super highly recommended.

TRACKLISTING:

(WARNING: it’s a grindcore album. This could be extensive with high quality word salad song titles.)

01. Whetting The Tools Of Castration
02. Olivia Neutered John
03. Freelance Rotary Hammer Proctologist (FUCKING OUCH!!!)
04. Pool Of Liquified Paedophiles (Frankly, due to my line of work and having witnessed the real and raw suffering of kids having suffered sexual abuse, this is a concept I am entirely behind and want to be personally responsible for…)
05. Gendercrusher
06. Under The Heel Of Her Holy Highness (Oh, the possibilities…)
07. Stairwell Nonce Bashing (Again, an activity that is both wholesome and has a useful and proactive purpose. I recommend it to all persons who think nonces should be executed…)
08. Stillbornography
09. Pecker Wrecker
10. Death Fetish
11. Queen Of The Rusty Chainsaw (MY LIEGE!!!!)
12. Anal In The House Of The Lord (Come near me in your fucking dress and funny hat and I’m going to rip your bastard nipples off you religious BASTARD!!!)
13. Break Your Neck Bust Your Balls
14. Terminator Of Unlife
15. Brutality Unleashed
16. Cisterhood Of The Jackal
17. Underage Teenage Outrage Rampage (Again something I am on board with…)
18. Exhaustive Ruination Of The Vas Deferens (Hey, fact fans! The Vas Deferens tubes are the means of transporting sperm from the testes to the penis before ejaculation. You’re welcome.)
19. Bootlicker
20. Transdefender
21. Friend Zone Dead Zone
22. Unanesthetised Gelding With A Brand Name Food Processor (A Moulinex would be entirely unacceptable. Only Russell Hobbs will do…)
23. Scrotal Holocaust
24. Gorewhore
25. And The Arms That Embrace Me Are As Gentle As The Broken Necks Of Dead Swans (What the FUCK?!?)
26. John Poison Sons
27. Testosteroni
28. Post Traumatic Pickaxe Perforated Prostate (Alliterative torture. I dig this…)
29. HOPE Machine II
30 The Fragility Of Origami Cranes In A Rainstorm
31. Suffer Age

LINE-UP:

Dick “Bastard” Weeks – Fucking everything, the talented bastard. There’s no need for it, I tell you. No need.

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