Bump N’ Grind: Part Deuce
We’ve been neglecting the grind around here like the United States infrastructure [The ACSE has given the USA a D+ in frastructure, which is a slight improvement over the D we had four years ago. – W.]. Time to remedy that with a couple of hidden gems from the past, some free stuff and a few notable releases that are on the horizon.
The first of our hidden gems comes from Sweden’s Relevant Few who put out a handful of releases during their brief tenure. Any discerning grind fan will find these guys to be a welcome addition to their music catalog with their brand of hyper intense blast beat assault. The Art Of Today was released in 2003, and I liken it to Brutal Truth‘s debut album, Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses for its use of death metal riffs, low/high vocal attack and the occasional breakdown. There are 25 tracks in roughly thirty minutes on this bad boy, so you’ll find most songs play right into the hands of the grindcore playbook with short but sweet bursts of bludgeoning that will devour you faster than being dumped into a vat full of acid. Also included in Relevant Few’s discography is their debut album, Who Are Those of Leadership (2001) and a split with Afgrund from 2007. Sadly, the split would turn out to be the band’s last release, as vocalist Johan Carlzon passed away as a result of an overdose in 2008. Check out The Art of Today below and get familiar with an underrated grind album.
Next up in the hidden gems category is Greece’s Into The Gore. As far as bad band names go, Into The Gore has to be one of the least clever collection of words ever strung together. The criticism ends there because this is some Scandinavian influenced grind that should have Nasum fans grinning from ear to ear. Bureau of Disgust features an album cover that is ideal for this blog – a stick figure vomiting into a toilet. Also if a Bureau of Disgust does exist and they are hiring, I’d be a perfect candidate for employment. Into The Gore features some pissed off burly caveman vocals backed by the traditional high pitched grindcore screams that you all know and love. Fully fueled buzzsaw guitars greet you along with an accompaniment of blast beats that never waiver in their intensity. So don’t let that terrible band name fool you, Into The Gore bring the goods in spades, and you should definitely check them out below. Unfortunately, Into The Gore’s recorded output ended with this album, as main songwriter and guitarist, Michael-Alexander Xidas, passed away due to injuries from a motorcycle accident in 2005.
More free stuff comes to you in the form of some grinding, crusty d-beat from Budapest called Human Error. They immediately caught my attention with the clever title of their 2011 release, 10 Reasons To Kill Your Boss And Destroy The Whole World. And while I can easily think of 100, these ten songs should be considered ice breakers that will get the conversation started. Put on your most frequently worn and least frequently washed attire so you can raise your fist in protest for being mistreated by the man. This is some energetic and well played crusty d-beat with some grinding sprinkled throughout. In addition to this one being free, they also have another ten songs for free that you’ll find on their Bandcamp page. If you are keeping score, I’m not doing so hot with ending these blurbs with good news, and it appears these guys will be calling it quits as well. They’ve announced their last show will be on October 31st.
My personal favorite grind architects, Besta will be releasing a new split next month with Brazil’s O Cúmplice. And while I would very much like to hear a full length from these guys, it’s hard to complain about getting new music from them because they seem to put something out every six months. How many bands keep up appearances like that with recorded output? Besta continue to show that they are the real deal with their intense style of old school Napalm Death influenced grind. Check out the new song below and salivate as you wait for September to roll around.
