Grindcore reduces music to basic chromatic riffs which operate solely by pattern contrast in the changing of phrase and rhythm, making it one of those rare musical instances that creates a new “space” within music where other musicians do not deign to tread. This makes grindcore often resemble a kitchen sink: you turn on the tap, and grindcore pours out, about like all other grindcore.
1 CommentTags: gridlink, Grindcore, retortion terror
Mortalized was the other grindcore band of Gridlink guitarist and riff master Takafumi Matsubara. 呪われた …Complete Mortality is the total and complete collection of everything the Japanese grindcore legends ever recorded. Since Mortalized is a grindcore band, Complete Mortality is effectively a giant collection of effective riffs in various styles: grindcore, death metal, heavy metal, black metal, Gothenburg, hardcore, post-hardcore, crust, speed metal, you name it and Matsubara probably had an original riff resembling that style of metal or hardcore on this release. Complete Mortality is a true riff bible from the mind of an incredibly creative and talented guitarist.
11 CommentsTags: anthology, blastasfuk grindcore, complete mortality, gridlink, Grindcore, Japan, mortalized, review, riff bible, Takafumi Matsubara
Longhena is grindcore that is actually musical. Takafumi Matsubara (Mortalized) became the sole guitarist after Orphan and brought a longer, more narrative, heavy metal sense of songwriting to Gridlink’s hyper proficient blend of their musical influences. The riffing varies from post-hardcore chord progressions to New Wave of British Heavy Metal harmonies of the type originated by Thin Lizzy. Somewhat shocking for a grindcore band not Carcass or Bolt Thrower, Matsubara actually progressive his riffs to tell short narratives in short, cyclical compositions varying from one to three minutes in length, usually climaxing in a bittersweet, often melancholic solo. The drumming is blasting, inspired, and semi-tasteful, with fills that feel almost as if they are about to go off the rails but return to be properly enslaved by the riffing. Vocals are reminiscent of Assuck with lyrical topics ranging from nuclear holocaust to anime and lamentations of the destruction of the player-controlled spaceship in shoot ’em up arcade game. All melodically and lyrically reflect upon listeners certain Buddhist mental concepts of the emptiness, nothingness, and meaninglessness of human existence and suffering.
40 CommentsTags: 2014, gridlink, Grindcore, Heavy Metal, Longhena, post-hardcore, review, Takafumi Matsubara, technical metal
I’ve just completed reading the 2011 “best of” lists from a number of popular websites. The results are predictably dismal. Are these people incompetent or just deaf?
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Tags: 2011, abhor, amebix, apocalypse command, beherit, best of, Black Metal, blaspherian, blotted science, cianide, Cruciamentum, death metal, death strike, deceased, Esoteric, gridlink, heresiarch, morbus 666, nunslaughter, Obsequiae, primordial, rudra, sorcier des glaces, ungod, vallenfyre, war master
Legion of Doom – The Horned Made Flesh (Zyklon-B)
This Greek band take their acerbic traditional metal and slowly meld in symphonic keyboard elements, making an album that is easy to appreciate but surpasses most others in artistic vision.
Lemmy and Company rarely go completely wrong, and so they wing another one down the middle. Like all Motorhead, most songs are cut from similar patterns and the drone wears thin, but riffs remain cutting and rhythms compelling.
Neuraxis – Thin Line Between (Prosthetic)
We all know metalcore as a genre is like an omelette — throw everything in and hope the flavors carry a lowest common denominator mix. Neuraxis attack metalcore like a metal band, using melody and rhythm to centralize, to great effect.
Deeds of Flesh – Of What’s to Come (Unique Leader)
Getting experimental, this brutal technical death metal band play with some new ideas but deliver solidly resounding songs as they try to wrap their old school metal around metalcore technique.
Hellhammer – Demon Entrails (Noise)
Three bands formed this genre: Hellhammer, Sodom and Bathory. This re-release of formative material from the first of that triumvirate shows us again how mind-blowing it must have been to be there as it happened.
Gridlink – Amber Grey (Hydra Head)
Blurring grindcore with absurdist technical elements, Gridlink make an album that upholds the best traditions of thrash mixed with speed metal and technical death metal, and by keeping it short, don’t wander outside their content zone.
Averse Sefira – Advent Parallax (Candlelight)
This rarity upholds old school black metal and infuses it with classic death metal. Like Morbid Angel from the Convenant era colliding with Graveland from the time of Thousand Swords, this band makes vicious but beautiful music.
Bahimiron – Southern Nihilizm (Moribund)
Imagine early Impaled Nazarene and Gorgoroth combined: fast, melodic riffs with a tendency to deconstruct everything they touch. Although slightly confused in ideals, Bahimiron deliver music that does not compromise aggression or darkness.
Intestine Baalism – Ultimate Instinct (No Colours)
Swedish death metal fanatics make an album in tribute to all three eras of Swedish death metal — the initial surge, Gothenburg and NWOSDM, combined. It’s an improvement over their last and most things coming out of Sweden.
Master – Slaves To Society Re-Release (Ibex Moon)
Evolving from their early primitive roots, Master present us an album that is rippingly fast like Slayer and uses melodic fills to good effect, but never compromises the driving roadhouse rhythms that pound this music forward.
Skepticism – Alloy (Red Stream)
Lush ambient doom surges resoundingly throughout this album, like dye in a pool tracked by the motion of carp. It is meditative, powerful and insightful, but prefers not to state these explicitly, rather letting you absorb them from the resonance.
No CommentsTags: 2008, averse sefira, bahimi, bahimiron, best of, deeds of flesh, gridlink, hellhammer, Intestine Baalism, Legion of Doom, master, motorhead, neuraxis, skepticism
