Vile Species (Greece) - Demo (2022)

 

Untitled

    Straight outta the cradle of Western civilization, Athens' Vile Species have recently been creating a catalog of crusty, old school grind with an output of five releases in just the past two years. Most notably with Sacramento's Human Obliteration whose 2020 LP, Definition of Insanity, had a somewhat conspicuous release. As a band, Vile Species have been cultivating a sound that combines the unembellished riffing of crust punk with the heavy blasting and keened edge of Scandinavian grindcore. The band can shift from one influence to the next in a matter of seconds. Pivoting from thrashy tremolo picking to stripped down crust punk riffs that sound like they are right out of the Disrupt playbook. Vocally, the band offers a standard truculent trifecta in that of the scratchy highs, a mid-range guttural snarl and some overly deep roars that make up a majority of the songs. Think dueling vocals between Shane MacLachlan and Barney Greenway with a healthy amount of rasp.

    Like the spring loaded plunger on a pinball machine, these Greek grinders shoot into their latest release with a throaty, blown out growl before opening up into a barrage of blast beats and slingshot riffs. The band's perpetual careening is only diminished by a head bobbing breakdown that bumpers its way back and forth before sliding past the flippers and into the gutter and exiting in a mere eighty-seven seconds. Thus completing song one of Vile Species' newest four song 2022 demo. A five minute shot of bare-knuckle grindcore that is straight to the point and does not waste time. With each of the songs being labeled as "Untitled" along with their corresponding track number, we are presented with either the band's raw and unfinished works or an artistic commentary on the futility of presentation. Regardless, Vile Species presents a fast paced, punishing assault of semi-low-fi blastcore that feels familiar and welcomed. 

    Being that this release is a demo, one cannot critique its production or superficialities too harshly, but there were a few things that did draw my attention. Foremost, the guitar tone seemed especially underweight in the mix. The lower fidelity itself wasn't wholly unexpected, but the guitar resonance was. At certain points ("Untitled 3") the band could have been mistaken for a bass and drum ensemble — albeit the best-case scenario of a bass and drum ensemble. It's just that the mix and distortion waver in their solidity and sometimes reduce the actual guitar to an unostentatious fuzz. Searching for the appropriate tone has been something of a constant plague for the band as the guitar sound has been drastically different on each of their releases. Liner notes indicate that mixing and mastering was done in-house and seems like an easily remedied problem in the future with the acquisition of outside mastering. But a lot can be said for DIY ethics and self-production. Not to mention that punk ethos is everything. Nonetheless, I am well aware of the meritlessness of "white gloving" a demo, so please do not let the above criticisms color this release overly negative. 

    

    Spiritually and metaphorically, Vile Species are that aggressively provoked dog on the other side of the fence when you are walking down the sidewalk. You know it's there, yet you fail to hear the huffing gallops quickly closing the gap. Then suddenly and unexpectedly — THWACK! The mongrel slams into the fence. The impact shakes the barricade from its foundation and cracks the wooden planks. Through an already excavated dugout under the torn slats ejects the crocodile-sized head of a barking, snarling, blue furred K-9 killer. Its face ivied in veins and rippled in taught muscle. Desperately snarling and snapping in a lusty attempt to tear out the softer bits of flesh from around your jawline and genitalia. Its red-meated, serrated jowls foam-filled and heaving. Its bright white fanged teeth mawing through the dust. Its pale hazel eyes rolled back and full of splinters, glinted with a vicious and berserk unabated desire to maul. A dramatic analogy, yes; but that's how Vile Species operates. The band's "attack" is a major key component in what makes their brand of grindcore so ruthless and enjoyable. Their explosive compositions hit their marks and don't let up. Vile Species' 2022 demo are those sentiments dirtied and distilled. It's their not-so-idiomatical grindcore pound of flesh, if you will: "no more, no less." 

    Vile Species' 2022 demo cassette tape as well as it's 5 inch clear vinyl version are currently available on the band's Bandcamp page. Vinyl pressing courtesy of Helldog Records and Nostril Bush Records. 

FFO: Phobia, Blockheads, Human Cull, Mumakil

Listen and/or buy:

https://vilespecies.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2022

[Originally posted on March 28, 2022, Return to the House of Grindcore]

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