Durian (USA) / Kandarivas (Japan) - Split (2024)
Among grindcore’s many traditions, the split 7” is one of its most beloved, and for good reason. Sure, bands in most punk subgenres release splits. But none are as uniquely suited to the brevity of the medium as grind. Within the ~5 minute per side limit, a grindcore band can fit an EP’s worth of material. This means that 7” records offer a condensed showcase for bands at a low price point. For this reason, they’re a great place for an established band to give a shot to a lesser-known group, or for two like-minded bands at the top of their g…
Backslider (USA) - Psychic Rot (2022)
The color films of Italian horror pioneer Mario Bava are vivid to the point of unreality. A rainbow of lighting gels coming from unnatural locations, bright red dressmaker's mannequins and brighter blood, fog-drenched soundstage forests and cobweb-laden crypts. Psychic Rot , the latest from Philadelphia's Backslider, is the Mario Bava movie of powerviolence albums. Unnerving, psychedelic, filled with detail and shot through with sudden violence. A range of styles comprise the sound here. Tracks like "Corpseflower" and first …
Bandit (USA) - Warsaw (2018)
Philly's Bandit condensed a whole bunch of shifty, riff-heavy powerviolence to about four minutes on their 2018 EP titled Warsaw, leaving cadaverous footprints in the shapes of top-tier grind bands such as Pig Destroyer and even Discordance Axis (see also the 2017 EP, Self Inflicted , for riffs of worship) in their wake. Most importantly, whatever they lose for the speed demons among their listeners with the occasional chugalong, they quite successfully make up for it in the elaborated riff department and tight song-structuring. Put the …
![Cannibal Ox [USA] - The Cold Vein [2001]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FeW8NXsiGd02osGjlAMTjjLvgYBgf08NWLU2_0QaxxTE3JS6pKfgf7hHU2NpPb89YPfCvvn1-NwGRET5YnklmUQHUU50fEGpc1rG0gWotm93M16GJlqCZksj2muRdVQTr013kl2RLOpE/w100/cannibal_ox_the_cold_vein_cover.jpg)
