The duo of Lymphatic Phlegm (Paran?, Brazil) begins with some totally raw grindcore with insanely guttural vocals (probably pitch shifted way down) and a really muddy, rugged sound that makes it hard to define what's going on. All I can tell is that there's a lot of blasting speed, a drum machine, and those utterly unbelievable vocals are right up front. I can barely make out any guitars, though. I imagine these guys are probably Carcass fans, not only from what I can make out of the music (it's really just a big ball of low-end with killer vocals and throbbing programmed blastbeats) but because of the lyrical content, which comes straight out of the early Carcass handbook: "A chronic infection of the endocardium caused by microbial infiltration in the blood, resulting from acute articular rheumatism. Localized in the cardiac valves, which in some cases adhere, giving cause to a severe stenosis of the affected orifice, which thus impairs the performance of its natural functions, causing cardiac insufficiency. Anticoagulants and consequent surgical intervention will be indicated." They race through seven tracks in about six minutes, and that's that. Jan Ag (Belgium - a side project from Jan of Agathocles) follows suit with brutal and fast grindcore, using an even rawer, dirtier sound that's equally muddy and hard to decipher, with a little bit more high-end in there. The songs are shorter, just blasting right through in less than a minute each. No lyrics are included for this half, just a huge "Goodnight White Pride" logo and a tracklist with minimal recording information. The 7" comes on transparent yellow vinyl in a full color sleeve with some great artwork. The Lymphatic Phlegm side shows some fucked up looking medical patients or something with blood all over their face masks and other such injuries, while the Jan Ag side has an amusing photo (probably lifted from an advertisement) of some woman screaming into a man's ear with a megaphone. Inside is a double-sided glossy insert (black and white) with lyrics and a band photo for Lymphatic Phlegm and minimal artwork/text for Jan Ag. This is basically a potentially ripping split EP that falls flat on its face due to horrendous recordings from each band. I can tell that I don't dislike either band, but there's zero definition in any of their songs, aside from a few bits and pieces that make themselves more known. With a slightly clearer, though still raw as fuck sound, both of these bands would have more to offer.
[2+2=5]
Running time - 10:00 (approximately), Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Prostatic Affection Consequent to Blenorrhagical Urethritis, Malignant Ulcerous-Vegetative Hemolytic-Streptococcal Endocarditis, Bullet Blaster, Re-Create]
2+2=5 Records - http://www.terror225.cjb.net
