Magrudergrind - Magrudergrind

Being an absolute pinnacle of modern grindcore, it is almost impossible to fault this Magrudergrind record. With that in mind, I will start with my only gripe. Where's the bass? I fucking love bass. That's literally all I can criticize. I remember making some unsavoury comments about Pig Destroyer getting a bass player and having seen them live several times since the change I can only long hopefully for Magrudergrind to one day pack that extra punch...

Anyway, I'm rambling. Magrudergrind's self titled is generally the record I recommend to grindcore newbies (as well as Wormrot's Noise EP) on the rare occasion somebody actually cares about what I'm saying. Opening track "The Protocols Of Anti-Sound" is one of my favourite songs ever as it comprises of everything you could possibly want out of grindcore in one short blast. Magrudergrind's razor sharp distortion and chunky drum production mingle perfectly, leaving just enough room for the distortion of the vocals. There's chaos, and plenty of it, but Magrudergrind also play the vital grind card (that a lot of bands overlook) - throwing in a fucking killer riff every now and then.

Speaking of killer riffs, "Bridge Burner" is a lengthy offering sitting in the middle of the record that sounds like an orgy of heaviness akin to Fistula crossed with Drop Dead. There's even some weird hip hop shit at the end of the album which I like but I'm sure will actually alienate some purists, but fuck those guys - hip hop is awesome. 

Grind.

Magrudergrind - Crusher

I can't decide which one looks cooler? Above is the original Scion art, below the repress art. 

The boys in Magrudergrind seem to always catch an awful lot of flak for "selling out", perhaps more so than any band that's done this Scion A/V shit. I'm not gonna go into the bands dodgy appearance on a crappy TV show, I'm focussing entirely on the Scion thing here. I don't understand why I never hear anybody slagging off Wormrot for doing the same thing? Wormrot's Noise EP is up on some revered grind-pedestal, which I'm glad for, because it's awesome, but what makes them so different? Why do Magrudergrind catch it in the neck so much over this shit? If some useless car company wants to pump money into releasing grindcore music (for free) then what's the issue? Nobody's making you buy a fucking car.

Anyways, Crusher is awesome. It's everything you/we/I love about Magrudergrind rolled up into a nice 11 minute package. I don't think anything'll ever top the self titled album for me, but this is like a condensed version of everything that makes that album awesome. Magrudergrind have this fantastic ability to rip a cripplingly good riff and keep it nice and clear as the blasts and vocal barrage unfold. Mix in a few slow, almost sludgey interludes and a minute or two of sneaky (but not so good) hip hop, and job done! 

Asides from the original Scion A/V release of this EP on vinyl and CD, this has also been re-issued on 10" by Bones Brigade and Kaotoxin Records, on CD by Regurgitated Semen, and again on 10" in the USA by To Live A Lie. So there you go, if you wanna play punk and are against Scion, you can still pick this up off one of several reputed DIY or underground labels. Get in. 

V/A - This Box Kills Fascists (Always) - 7 x 7"

So this is the biggest Lines In Wax blog post yet! The mighty grindcore compilation that is This Comp Kills Fascists in 7" box set form: "This Box Kills Fascists (Always)". It was originally released on CD by Relapse in 2008, and then on double 12" LP as a co-release between Relapse and Deep Six Records. In early 2009, this monster version dropped on Relapse, imitating a series of split 7"s. As per usual with Relapse, there is a clear version as well but this is near impossible to find.

Agents of Satan guitar's sound is almost near the crunchiness of stoner fuzz and sludge mess, but coupled with odd hip hop samples and hellish vocals, creates an excited grind sound. On the flip side of disc one, Weekend Nachos bring a more powerviolence type sound, with almost-Benumb style vocals. The production is a bit fatter than the Agents of Satan side but the guitar work is a lot more "metallic".

Disc two bursts open with Kill The Client's hyperspeed distorted grindcore. The drummer makes playing at super fast speeds sound so easy! There is a lot of distortion packed into the sound on this disc, as one side two Spoonful of Vicodin blast through six hits of lo-fi crusty, drug-addled madness.

Maruta have a much more technical approach than all the previous bands, kicking disc three off with an almost death metal feel. The production is a lot more polished, the vocals a lot lower than usual (but still coupled with high screams). The songs are a lot longer too, and Maruta serve up two cuts of pure grinding death hell. It reminds me of 2000s Napalm Death sound with early Pig Destroyer vocals. Good shit! Flip over the disc and find the endlessly awesome Insect Warfare tearing through four heavy as fuck blasts of ripping modern grindcore. If you know Insect Warfare's sound, then there is nothing to describe here other than it's as awesome as ever!

As disc four starts to spin on the deck the first thing that hits me about Shitstorm is the drums; frantic and crazy, yet controlled and technical. They seem higher in the mix more than the mixes some of the other bands uses, but this does not detract from the awesome grind Shitstorm play. Man Will Destroy Himself has a very punk feel to it; raspy vocals spat over simple yet catchy riffs and "normal" drumming is employed instead of endless blasts. It's almost a welcome break in this sea of grinding madness!

Total Fucking Destruction slather up side A of disc five with their usual clusterfuck drumming, agonizingly demented vocals and razor sharp guitar work. TFD is always worth a listen for the grinder with a taste for the abnormal. Wired, jazzy drums litter ridiculous grind numbers and mostly spoken / shouted vocals. Chainsaw To The Face are getting very popular recently and it's easy to see why: hyper hyper fast drumming leads a blistering grind attack topped with barked / growled powerviolence style vocals. Chugging and low vocals even make it a bit death metal like in parts. Something for everyone!

You know Magrudergrind are about to start because of the hip hop samples. The first side of disc six is chock full of the brutality that makes this band so good. They remind me a lot of Wormrot's sound on this particular 7". Side B sees Brutal Truth dropping the death metal tunage for more spazzy grind (possibly Hoak's TFD influence seeping through quite a lot here?). You gotta love Brutal Truth. Upon listening to this I have realized I don't listen to them enough.

Starting disc 7 I am very impressed with Asra. I've never encountered them before. The production is a lot thinner than most on this compilation, reminding me a lot of black metal. Even though the music is strictly grind, the vocals are strictly that of death metal stock, the guitar does go off into some black metal style riffage every now and then. The final band on the comp, Wastoid, also employ super low death metal vocals coupled with crazy shouting that reminds me of an old underground band called Subterranean Fecal Root. The lows are almost identical to those of Embalming Theatre.