Reviews

Rejected Abused

Horde / Out of Phase split LP

Split record from two East German purveyors of extreme heaviness. Grindcore band HORDE delivers everything I like about the genre: crisp, pummeling drums, bass-heavy, ultra-distorted guitar tones, and the filthiest vocals possible. Like INSECT WARFARE or NASUM, HORDE finds the fine line between hardcore and death metal and blasts it apart until their side is over. The snare work is crazy on all these songs, super-tight with incredible transitions that move from blastbeats to D-beats with ease, and a pounding cadence on “Soziopathy” that has to result in occasional torn drum heads. This is grade A grind with a few sidesteps into brutal death metal, like on the sludgy, gurgling “Zentro.” Total ripper. That’s a tough act to follow, but OUT OF PHASE fucking kills it as well, albeit in a different manner. They bring HIS HERO IS GONE-influenced crust that crushes with a thick, fuzzed-out low end, insane drums (do these bands share a drummer? Seriously some of the best I have heard in a while on both sides), and call-and-response anguished, howling vocals. Tracks like “I” and “IV” have snaky guitar leads that add texture to the chaos and make the whole thing sound even more menacing. This rules; a split release where both sides deserve equal play.

Kronol / Resistance is Punk split EP

RESISTANCE IS PUNK (or R.I.P.) is from Stockport in the UK, and plays gritty, aggro anarcho punk, while KRONOL is from Leeuwarden in the Netherlands and plays D-beat-driven hardcore punk. R.I.P. has two songs on this split, and both have a homebrew feel largely driven by the clean yet lo-fi production and noisy guitar work. KRONOL plays three songs on this split, and their set carries an even more aggro feel with rhythms that get your fist in the air. All in all, this is a really well-matched split with both R.I.P. and KRONOL bringing some great punk rock.

Deformed Existence / Vitriolic Response split EP

Attention all followers of crustcore: the DEFORMED EXISTENCE / VITRIOLIC RESPONSE 7″ split is truly something special. DEFORMED EXISTENCE from Japan and VITRIOLIC RESPONSE from the UK both play a style of crust, but when presented in a split format, their unique spin on the subgenre is evident. DEFORMED EXISTENCE plays two songs on their side of the disc, with both tracks bringing deep bass rumble and a full-throttle delivery. VITRIOLIC RESPONSE recorded three songs for the split, with their style carrying a more frenetic, streetwise D-beat sound into the crust. Both bands serve noisy, breakneck metallic punk in a way that harkens back to an earlier time, while the lyrics deliver current and crucial messages. This split is presented in cooperation by a host of international punk labels, and with its double-sided, fold-out sleeve, it really is a complete living artifact of global punk expression.