Assuck Warfare (Cellgraft, External Habitation, 2010)

External Habitation brings into the realm of Grind the unique and interesting themes of  Cytology and Cytopathology which extends beyond the bands name; Cellgraft, and into a lyrical concept of numerous biological orientated dystopian possibilities. If like me you lost all interest in biology when you realized it would require decades to hold the world at ransom with your new breed of murderous cells, then these lyrics are bound to rekindle your fascination with the extreme side of biology.
Cellgraft are Tampa Bays hybrid of both fellow Floridians Assuck and coastal neighbours Insect Warfare in a true old school Grindcore fashion. Adopting Assuckian rampant yet co-ordinated blasting and twisting microscopic observant demise preaching lyricism, and the ever infamous Insect Warfares face shredding screeching guitar work, they have worked out an formula I have yearned to hear in the spotlight of Grind.
Judge them not on how good they are at being either Assuck or Insect Warfare, for Cellgraft are a mechanical beast of their own, who combine what we loved from each; the dexterity of one and the abrasiveness of the other, for their ground shacking 13 phase attack on your ears. Despite all the old school hallmarks including the mandatory cover of one of your influences, in this case non-other than the first and eternal Napalm Death - Scum, these grinding Floridians do offer a few modern twists and turns, not only do the lyrics go 21st century, but Cellgraft go entirely modern with a internet based DIY approach. They offer downloads to their material ala mediafire, and publish updates about the band via their blog here. As one would expect with a DIY band, production quality is not the best, however their rampaging grindcore bursts shine through poor production value, and one can clearly see the makings of a great band worthy of sitting beside the oldies.
Long gone are Assucks howlings of Class Warfare, as is Insect Warfare,but Long Live Cellular Warfare!

P.S You can buy their first 7" here,(A must buy, then review when I have more funds)

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Jesus Loves Mcdonalds (Assück, Misery Index 1996)

With a band name of Assück, one can easily distinguish whether or not a person of unknown musical orientation is a grindcore fan or not. People who have not been gifted or discovered the sweet musical nectar of Grindcore will most likely laugh at such a name and make some sexual joke, whereas a Grindcore fan will either nod their head in approval or engage in an  in depth educated discussion on how Assück's lyrics on the subject of consumer culture and capital dependency reflect a quasi-neo-marxist-anarchist discourse.

Stemming from Saint Petersburg, Florida; Misery Index was the last release from these old school east coast grinders and one of Grindcore's most pivotal albums and its legacy may be seen still today in one of Death Grinds biggest names, whose legacy is not only titular, but lyrical and perhaps even by extension drumming as well .From the beginning  Assück have been brandishing a  series of well contrived academic like lyrics to justify their stance as Anarcho-Grind, a break from the saturation of the Punk with its "I'm more punk than you" attitude which ruined what was a respectable scene.
With drummer Rob Proctor fresh off his role as Discordance Axis tour drummer for Japan 95, Assück were set to break free from their 3 years of no new material phase, and bring forth the most lyrically profound and best produced material to date. Unlike most bands who religiously play at break neck speeds, Assück made use of heavy deceleration and acceleration, to give there songs an unforgettable dynamic. The most recognisable and beloved trait of the album by far is the blast beating;, standing right in the foreground Mr.Proctor's dexterous technicality on the drums is showcased, and it's primitive and bitter nature is a fantastic accomplishment, which has rarely been pulled off since.

Guitar work is dark and down tuned,and with  low pitch bellow vocals it gives the music that bleak feel to it, worthy of a title of Misery Index which aside from being a snazzy title is in fact an official statistical measure of the unemployment rate combined with that of the interest(read here).
There is only one complaint I can raise against this near infallible album, and that is how short it is, it clocks in at just over 15 minutes, just over the album mark. It will leave the listener yearning for more and more, but no more is forthcoming, although to play devils advocate; it may be argued that a sign of good quality is a demand for more, and quality this release has in great abundance.
Misery Index gave blast beat filled hope to grindcore scene in the mid 90's, whose founding fathers had either dissolved or had undergone an alternate routes,which had put the genre on life support.
Altogether Misery Index has an amazing roster of ingredients; blast beats galore, political discourse worthy of its own following, down tuned down tempo guitars and a long lasting far reaching legacy.

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Zaphers First Review (Death, The Sound of Perseverance, 1998)

As promised long ago I said I would bring in a new author to this Blog, and being a man of my word it has come true. He goes under the name of Zapher and is rooted in his NWOBHM, but has a strong appreciation of some Death Metal and Grind, and luckily for me his critical reportage is en par with his knowledge of Iron Maiden,(which is bordering on the encyclopaedic/stalker phase) so his contributions I am very much grateful for, so lets give him a nice GrindtoDeath welcome!

It is apt that a band named “Death” have become so synonymous with Death Metal and have provided the genre with many of its classic and requisite records. Their basis was laid in place by the Bay Area Thrash Metal Movement, a fast and heavy take of Metal music laden with New Wave of British Heavy Metal influences. The band became a major factor in the Florida Metal Movement, as an answer to the music being provided by the West Coast thrash bands.

The Sound of Perseverance is the last album in a stream of revolutionary Death Metal albums, introducing many genre staples. Containing the usual savage lexicon focused on violence and terror. Only instrumental track “Voice of the Soul” takes a break from murder and atrocities. This voiceless track trades Chuck Schuldiner’s fierce and dominating vocal growls for beautiful guitar harmonies. Amongst tracks of high energy and brutal subject matter the track stands out more, especially as an example of Death’s talent as song writers. But the violence stems not just from the perverse poetry but from the sublime guitar work of Schuldiner and Shannon Hamm. With opener Scavenger of Human Sorrow being a constant barrage of doom bringing riffs that drives the rusty nail right into the skull of another victim.

Deaths malicious musicianship is terrifyingly clear in their cover of Judas Priests Painkiller, its inclusion on the album being a sign of how the band wore their influences on their sleeves. The song is mostly a straight cover with little changes to the structure of the original the song, but the band make it seem like an entire reinvention. The song most importantly seems quicker and heavier, despite being the quickest and heaviest of any Judas Priest song in existence. The clean cut solos of Downing and Tipton are replaced with the wailings of Schuldiner and Hamm. Rob Halford’s powerful shrieks are handled surprisingly by Schuldiner who adopts a vocal style un-similar to any of those he used previously. His Halford borders on impression at times and is a clear illustrator of his powerful voice and range. He gives the “terrifying screams” lyric of the song new meaning and his verse outro screams are no less than outstanding. Painkillers famous drum intro is played fierily by Richard Christie, adapted to Deaths sounds with their shrill crash cymbal sounds making the cover instantly unique.

The albums opening “Scavenger of Human Sorrow” is akin to Painkillers opening, with a fierce drum intro of heavy double bass pounding and multiple cymbal crashing being met with a screeching guitar. Christies drum work is as impressive as the musicianship of every other personnel on the album, working beautifully with bassist Scott Clendenin on an album containing little beauty. Clendenin’s bass work is at its best in “Spirit Crusher”, with his slow bass fills working as great transitions between riffs barbarous enough to signal the apocalypse. The bands strong rhythm section provides the perfect basis for the intense vocals and riffs. The bass is allowed to step forward into being a lead instrument in the epic track “A Moment of Clarity”, at times the bass leads the track with a quick succession of fleeting bass lines. The bass styles of the album are clear and almost clean. A vast contrast to the heavy and dirty sounding guitars and powerful drums accompaniments. The bass is always distinct and penetrating during sections that the guitars blend and mesh together, at times mirroring the guitar work but with an entirely different sound because of its clarity. 

The guitars work as a unit utilising the twin lead guitar style introduced by Wishbone Ash and popularised by artists such as Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy. The unite to play the albums famously ferocious riffs before breaking to play individual solos. As well as harmonising during the albums sparse subdued but sections. The duos trading solos are among the albums highlights. Despite being influenced by the styles put in place by Maiden and many other bands the album is miles away from the stunning guitar harmonies of “Children of the Damned”. However, the emotional impact is just as strong, despite being of a polar opposite spectrum. It is an album that oozes violence as much as the infected wounds that serve as the albums lyrical basis. Unpleasant in everyway but a sheer joy.

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