Tag: grindcore

It’s been a while since we’ve covered some grindcore here, so it seems like the right time. One of the most–if not the most–intense genres of metal and/or hardcore and/or noise (depending on which angle is taken), grindcore is generally an acquired taste and is more often than not a ‘love it or hate it’ genre with very little room for bystanders. Having emerged in the 1980s as an ever-increasingly intense subgenre of hardcore punk, it is generally characterized by ridiculously fast, and very short songs.… Continued →

The “Christian Metal Group” (aptly named) on Facebook is one of the largest social media groups dedicated to the promotion and discussion of Christian heavy metal. The page is taking its support to a new level by sponsoring its first compilation. Full track list was announced this morning, and the compilation (vol. 1) drops next Saturday, September 14th. For more information, check out the page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564859173268 1. Scapegoat – Stand Your Ground 2. Testimony Of Apocalypse – The Time Has Come 3. Every Thought Captive – Punishment 4.… Continued →

Resurrected Divinity Lycanthropy II (Broken Curfew Records) For the uninitiated, Lycanthropy II is essentially a deluxe reissue of the Lycanthropy 4-song EP, but with an additional 5 bonus tracks extending the release to a full-length. Several of the bonus tracks are covers from a wide variety of bands, making this an interesting album all the way around. The album wastes no time getting started. “Suffer With” comes right out of the gate with blastbeats and growls. No lengthy intros needed here. This is old-fashioned death/grind here with lots of tempo changes—alternating superfast blastbeats with slowed-down sludge riffs, and then occasionally incorporating both into a singular section by taking the rhythm section double-time.… Continued →

Some of our readers will be familiar with Seth Metoyer’s work through his extreme metal bands Mangled Carpenter (brutal death metal/grindcore), Pulpit Vomit (grindcore), or Brain Matter (industrial metal), but he has also been moonlighting in the film industry, creating scores for horror films for well over a decade. We recently caught up by email to discuss the prospects and perils of making scary music for scary movies as a not-so-scary believer. LH: For those who don’t know, how long have you been making music? SM: I’ve “officially” been making music for about 20 years.… Continued →

If you’re of the opinion that only melodic music can be godly, then you might want to navigate your browser elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you see the possibility of the Spirit working and moving in the new, the avant garde, the experimental, and the downright weird, then Ganglia just might interest you. Sometimes stylized as GÅNGLÎÅ, this one-man project was started by David Smittcamp in Los Angeles in the late 1990s. He took the already experimental genre of grindcore (lightning-fast tempos and ultra-short songs fused into an extreme form of hardcore and metal), and flipped it on its head by utilizing only electronic instruments.… Continued →

This 5-piece band from Norwalk, CA started as a metalcore band but morphed into something heavier and more technical with an interesting mix of death metal, grindcore, and the odd jazz passage. The band only released two demos. The first was a 5-song tape called “Soldiers of the Cross.” In 2006 they released their more known, somewhat ironically titled “Death Gospel” (Gospel set to death metal, get it?) cassette, featuring 4 songs. Then the band was never to be heard of again. However, just this year an independent secular metal label from Riverside has re-released the demo as a cassette-only release, with three bonus tracks.… Continued →

Encryptor was one of the many projects of the multi-talented Felipe (AKA Phil) Diez, and was one of the first Christian death metal projects from the nation of Panama. Phil later relocated to Rhode Island and carried on his career there with several projects: Sorrowstorm (black metal), Entorn (doom metal), Northern Ash (death metal), and Rehumanize (grindcore). So far, Encryptor is my favorite of the lot, though I confess I haven’t heard all of his projects. The band recorded 2 albums: Drowning in Flesh (on Nascent Frost Productions), and Sermon Decay (on Dysmorphic Records), both of which were available only very sparsely, independent of any substantial distribution.… Continued →

Danish experimental grindcore band Corpse Under Construction only recorded 14 tracks in their short existence–and at grindcore tempos and song-lengths, that’s just over 10 minutes of recorded material. They were released on the split CD 4-Way Noise Explosion, which also included Eternal Mystery, Rehumanize, and Long Suffering (2008 on Sewersound Records). What made the band particularly interesting–to me, anyway–was that the band consisted of just 2 members, brothers Martin Svinth on vocals and David Svinth (also of post-hardcore band Magtesløs) on vocals and programming. That’s right, just 2 guys and a drum machine–no ‘real’ instruments.… Continued →

While Gospel music to most probably represents tradition and preservation, there is also a strong undercurrent of experimentation and the avant garde. Among faith-filled artists are John Coltrane’s divinely-inspired free jazz, classical composers pushing the envelope of what music should be (Bach, for instance), heck even the first rock and roller (arguably) was essentially a Gospel singer/guitarist who just cranked things up a little louder. I mean, of course, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Add to the list Orlando Greenhill. Greenhill is probably most known for his upright bass playing in Havalina Rail Co.… Continued →

Mexico City’s Meekness have a new track out for digital download. The extreme noise genre (and all its ridiculously named subgenres: harsh noise wall, power electronics, noisecore, gorenoise, etc.) is a tough genre to get into. It’s even arguable whether it could be called music. While we won’t debate that here, suffice it to say that Meekness definitely offer something fresh and original to the genre. As impossible as it sounds they mix influences from synth-driven new wave, hip-hop beats, 80s industrial, grindcore and noise to form something entirely unique.… Continued →

Grindcore. You either love it or think it’s not music and wonder why it ever existed. There’s not a lot of in-between. It’s possibly the most extreme form of music that exists (it’s either that or some form of harsh noise). Flactorophia hail from Ecuador, have been around for quite a while. In fact, Redemption of the Flesh was originally released in 2006. The band released this one album and a few split releases, before its sole member, Jose Barragan tragically died in a fire at a local gig, along with several other members of other bands.… Continued →

All you metal heads looking for some heavy underground music with a real message of hope, check this new 3 way split out. Featuring the bands TIMORATUS, Symphony of Heaven, and Bismoth. You can listen below via Bandcamp and download there for “name your price”. Support independent music.… Continued →

If you guessed by the band name that you were about to hear some grindcore, you’d be right.  However, what you might not expect from this Brazilian band is the type of grindcore they play (yes, there are multiple subgenres, but let’s not get into that)!  While the trademark elements are there—incredibly fast riffs, blastbeats, extremely short songs—the longest song is just one minute, 12 seconds and it’s the only song over a minute.  In fact, the whole album of 16 songs clocks in at just over 6 minutes!—yet… Continued →

Check out this interview with Carlos Batista of Antidemon

Check out this review of Abated Mass of Flesh's third album, "Eternal Harvest"

You'd be surprised how many bands go unnoticed.

As a two year anniversary for the forum The Blackest Light, DC Mills (Vials of Wrath) helped all the musician members release a compilation for the group. You’ll see a bunch of bands you may have heard of represented: O, Majestic Winter, Corpse, Vials of Wrath, or maybe Blood Thirsty. Showcasing a variety of distribution centers, these bands have been on Vision of God Records, SkyBurnsBlack Records, Sanctus Gladius Records, and Vociferator Entertainment. This compilation features a fair amount of current Christian black metal, death metal, and grindcore, and offers some insight in what the underground has to offer.… Continued →

The band, Abated Mass of Flesh has had several side projects, everything from raw atmospheric black metal bands like Cryptic Rising or awesome deathcore bands like Parallax Withering. Flayed Alive is probably the most like AMOF. The project is a new band from Zack Plunkett, the brainchild of AMOF. They have a new EP, for those interested in brutal death metal/grindcore bands like this one. The EP is called Repulsive Manifestation and is available for free here. … Continued →

So yesterday I interviewed Tony Luktish of the death metal band As They Sleep. We talked about his injury, the new ATS album, some of the local acts of Detroit, and some old band’s of his. I hope you enjoy! How are ya man? I’m doing pretty good still recovering from my Heel injury. All in all pretty good considering. Yeah you mentioned that, what did you do there? I work for a transport company that moves Cars and Trucks for Ford Motor Co. around the Country.… Continued →

Today, I’m doing something a little different. These bands are bands that people should know and that are on the rise. Check them out! And here you go! 5. Saints Can Lie Metalcore acts have become very common in the United States. But Saints Can Lie seem to be doing something sort of fresh. The band formed in 2012 with the original lineup of brothers Vocalist Jake and Guitarist/Pianist Hunter Shaw, Guitarist John McDonough and Drummer Bryce Garland. The band comes from Texas, home to many amazing metal bands including Pantera and The Famine.… Continued →

Steven A. Cosand wanted to be my friend on Facebook about a year ago. I really did not know who he was until I read a post from Overcome announcing that Steven would be replacing Nicholas Greenwood as their second guitar player. We became fast friends and talked online almost everyday. At the end of 2011 Steven posted a link to his solo project Sanhedrin’s debut EP Pro Human, Pro Life. I was stoked to hear what he could do on his own. Seeing Overcome has move of Jason Stinson’s fingerprints on it.… Continued →