Misery Index "Dissent" CD
[Anarchos]
Holy shit, this is fucking awesome. I was a huge fan of their debut EP, their full-length was killer, and this is another scorcher of an EP that shows a lot of new directions for the band. First up is the four-part title track, totaling a little over 13 minutes. "I. Sheep and Wolves" begins with some of the most unexpected riffs I've ever heard from the band: Slow, dirge-laden chord progressions accented by melodic arpeggios (think Bolt Thrower, especially once the vocals kick in) and what I believe is a sample (either that or narration that's not listed in the lyrics) that creates a really dark intro that's one of the best things they've ever come up with - fucking awesome; "II. Exception to the Ruled" plows through everything from classic grindcore to old school thrash with blazing solos and some slower riffing that has more of a chunky metalcore vibe (in a good way); "III. The Imperial Ambition" keeps the speeds intact with lots of tight tremolo picking and only a few churning slower passages (including a badass fucking breakdown, totally insane); and "IV. Multiply by Fire" is a bit more moderately paced and groovy (in the best sense of the term) with lots of chugging picking patterns. The second separate track is "Defector", which runs around three minutes and hits on some Napalm Death circa "Utopia Banished" styled riffing combined with a faster, tighter crust punk sort of drive to it. I like the production better here than I did on "Retaliate", too. I still think they need to turn the bass up to let it drive the rhythm section, but the guitar tone is much thicker and more efficient here, with the drums maintaining more of a natural presence that still allows them to be fairly clear. Something about the vocals on this recording is great as well. They're somehow just a smidge deeper and more focused, mixed in pretty deep against the music, which really works nicely in my opinion. If you listen closely you can tell that there's just a little bit of ruggedness involved in the recording, but I like that, it keeps things from sounding too clinical and adds to the overall density of the end result. The artwork kicks ass with some politically charged comic book styled paintings and illustrations that tend to look quite good, especially the full color cover, which certainly has a different aesthetic than most of what's out there as far as grindcore is concerned. The lyrics are inside over a straight black background, and of course intelligently poised and rather involved for the style (longer than usual), attacking numerous socio-political issues with tact rather than generic rhetoric. "The patriot's honor's unquestioned (as the carrion rots in his backyard), And what noble intentions are not born from the bottom of tyranny's heart? Is it freedom's mission, or the fascist vision? Is it Christ-compassion, or coerced conversion? Saving humanity with poverty's liturgy!" Great stuff. Man, I hope this is the sign of things to come, because if they keep moving in this direction they'll fucking destroy all in their path. Two thumbs up, god damnit. (8/10)
Running time - 16:25, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: they're all great, but "I. Sheep and Wolves" definitely kills]
Misery Index - http://www.miseryindex.com

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