This Canadian grindcore act is back with 15 shredding tracks in exactly 25 minutes (coincidentally the exact same length as their last record, on which they had crammed 23 ragers). This time around things are more diverse and absolutely more aggressive. There are plenty of straight for the throat fast tracks, but then there are songs like "Faceless Thousands", which is slower and has an unusual sense of melody to the chords. Overall there are some crazy riffs here that are really discordant and twisted. The writing is fairly interesting and also a lot more complex than one would expect. Shit, "Ongoing Plague" crams more changes than you can count into about two-and-a-half minutes and has some eerie riffing that brings to mind the more modern end of the Norwegian black metal style. The intense speeds make me weary at times (partly due to the snare drum slicing through the mix), but I prefer the slightly slower rhythms anyway as it's easier to tell what's going on, and they really stand apart from the faster tempos. After a brief bout of silence the final track is an unlisted cover of Death Sentence's "R.C.M.P.", which is fucking awesome. Sadly this disc was recorded in a basement and mixed in a bedroom, which is pretty indicative of what it sounds like. Actually, it sounds better than you would expect considering those circumstances, but it's still way too fucking thin. It really sounds like crap compared to their massive last record, granted it stands on its own fairly well without thinking about that. But it's definitely too harsh on the ears. The drum sound is really pretty annoying in its rigidity, and while I love the distorted bass it just gets lost in the sea of grating treble until it's given a specific chance to breathe. The guitars are too dirty and in your face, and that biting edge makes things sound incredibly messy for the most part. The songs still do their damage, but so much detail and force is falling by the wayside due to the oddly coarse recording. I'm very disappointed in that aspect of the record, because the performances are really intriguing. The artwork gives off a dark and dreary atmosphere, though aside from the photos of decaying buildings and whatnot I can't really tell what sort of imagery is being represented. But everything looks consistent, and that's a plus. The lyrics are staunchly political, often dealing with topics that are very relevant in the current climate. "Live the lie of this culture awake to a life dreaming in red, He won't be happy till we all wade knee deep in the dead, I grieve for all the victims of the great deceit, While you would comfort us with the false warmth of a death embrace, Are you still apolitical? Do you feel their noose tightening to an end?" Also cool is that at the end of the booklet they provide lists of alternative media sources (TV, radio, internet, and newspapers) that provide unbiased coverage of current events. I don't know. This is a great band, they write great songs, they have a great message, and this is a good record. But they're capable of better, and I don't think they should go for such a grating production next time around.
[G7 Welcoming Committee]
Running time - 25:00, Tracks: 15
[Notable tracks: Fighting the National Security State, The New American Century, Red Industry, People = Hope, R.C.M.P.]
G7 Welcoming Committee Records - http://www.g7welcomingcommittee.com
