Vancouver’s underground at its heaviest—EROSION storms in with razor-edged crust riffs and D-beat urgency that recall MARTYRDÖD in their most feral moments. ALTERED DEAD counters with grotesque, suffocating death metal that grinds the air out of the room. Two sides of sonic punishment—one sprinting, the other crushing—that together feel like the walls closing in.
The perceived amount of bands can often feel staggering in the internet age, and as much as you try to keep in tune with new releases, it feels like an impossible task that even a mythological hero would fail to complete. I normally feel comfortable among crust-related bands, so if even I have never heard of EROSION, I am not lost as far as what they are trying to achieve is concerned. In fact, besides MASSGRAVE, I have to admit that I don’t know any of the bands the members of EROSION have been or currently are involved in. Who said the world was small? If EROSION includes a Swedish-flavoured dark metallic crust influence, I would not put them fully in the crust category. A lot is happening on their second LP Invasive Species, sometimes too much so for my basic brain, as this Vancouver act also incorporates elements of extreme metal (black or death) into their behemoth recipe that borders on blackened crust. The record is punishing, heavy, and mean, no doubt about it, and will appeal to metalheads and fans of modern crust alike. The label Mechanized Apparatus Revolt rightly compares them to MARTYRDÖD, but they are more versatile and diverse. I would also add käng-driven metal bands like ADRESTIA adopting a blackened HIS HERO IS GONE approach (assuming that makes sense). It’s a little too technical at times, and sometimes I have the impression that the band wants to do too many things in their songs. However, the sound is great and crushing, definitely an intense listen.
Grindcore is a bit like Marmite, innit? You either love it, own 100 AGATHOCLES split EPs, know the medical terms of a lot of disgusting diseases, and are able to decipher the messiest and hairiest band fonts, or you absolutely hate it and leave the venue as soon as you hear the first blastbeats. I am somewhere in the middle (for Marmite as well). I can really enjoy some old school primitive grindcore (the punkiest side of the spectrum) if the time is right, but I cannot stand technical grindcore (which I associate with metalheads). You guessed it, HACKED APART is a grindcore band, from Canada, and this is their first LP. The artwork says it all, I suppose—this is filthy extreme music, and thanks fuck for that. We are deep in primitive and raw grindcore territory here and it is bloody brilliant. Thrashing riffs, all sorts of fast beats, hoarse bear-like vocals, and a production overall highlighting the Neanderthal brutality of the music. This is the old school of WARSORE or ROT. They remind me of MASSGRAVE because they have that manic crust vibe at times. A full album of grindcore can sound a bit long, but this is quality.
