Jig-Ai at MySpace

First things first, I must say how great the Czech Republic is for metal. You have incredible bands like !T.O.O.H.!, Duobetic Homunkulus, Mincing Fury And Guttural Clamour Of Queer Decay, Negligent Collateral Collapse, Eardelete, and Ahumado Granujo who really know what they’re doing in the elements of death metal, grindcore and goregrind. Respectively, the group that I’m talking about today has two guys coming from the last three bands I just mentioned, and the third coming from a band I’ve never heard of, so those three are the crazy bastards that form Jig-Ai, who goes underneath my microscope of brutality at the moment.

For those of you who are aware of when this album dropped out of the sky, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m reviewing it now rather than two years ago. The main reason is because I’m sure most people just skimmed over this album as the usual goregrind fanfare with a Japanese and hentai*/guro** twist. Well morons, you’re wrong.

In the opening paragraph I already said these fellows are from the Czech Republic, but I neglected to tell you about how insane Czech Republic goregrind is. Ahumado Granujo alone turned me on to what I consider the only genre where experimentation is acceptable. Jig-Ai‘s bass player, Burak, hails from Ahumado Granujo, and one of the most notable things about that band is their utterly bizarre sound effects and electronica/techno remixes (i.e. their cover of “King Anus III”, originally by Cock And Ball Torture, and complete overhaul of Pete Sandoval’s drum track off of Morbid Angel‘s “Heretic”).

The reason I mention them in the first place is because you can definitely hear the sound effect influence from Ahumado Granujo, and I’m almost certain that Burak was the creator of all those glorious noises. Now, the main difference between the two bands with Burak is that Ahumado Graunjo‘s noises were much more quarky and fun, all while Jig-Ai‘s are actually strikingly cryptic and haunting. They range from random anime characters yelling incoherently (“VogelGrippe-N”) to bizarre noises (“Final C(u)nt” ,”Japanese Gut Cake” and “Injectator Kruto”), and they just add to the carnage that is already invading your ears.

As much as I’d like to compare all of these riffs and song structures to those of Impetigo, Gut, Cliteater, and Dead Infection, I just can’t. There’s just something about Jig-Ai that makes them the ultimate goregrind band in my mind, and I think it’s all of the different elements they use in their music. I’ve already mentioned the weird sampling, but there’s also the varying degrees between Mozek’s pitch-shifted vocals. He never sticks to just the usual low and guttural voice, but also changes it up to make him sound like a swarm of locusts, or even say my mother-in-law belching at dinner in a higher tone. I would honestly give somebody $20 U.S. (***NOT A REAL OFFER!!!***) if they didn’t start tapping their fingers or feet while listening to the beginning of “Sadomasochistic Practices Manual” or “HN-Islam“, or if they didn’t even laugh at Jig-Ai‘s wonderful take on the Brujeria classic, “La Ley de Plomo“.

Jig-Ai have come into a world where goregrind can get so repetitive and stale and turned the guidelines inside out and wore them as a hat. They really have put themselves on the goregrind pedestal because of their originality, groove, and let’s face it, their song titles are pretty damn funny (who the hell thinks up “Suffocated Between Gigantic Utters” or “Extruding Testicles Through Garlic Press”?). “Jig-Ai” is definitely for somebody who wants something extra with their gore, and Jig-Ai have an all-you-can-eat buffet of it.

*Hentai: Anime cartoon characters having intercourse. There may or may not be a shortage of tentacles depending on the film.

**Guro: Hentai cartoons that involve lots of dismemberment, vore, sadism, and other wonderfully violent acts. I hope you get a boner from it.

Pig Destroyer at Myspace

Pig Destroyer’s fourth full length “Phantom Limb” both rectifies the slight imperfections of the album that preceded and provides a new new dimension to the biggest remaining second wave grindcore act’s sound. Their third album “Terrifyer” was an invigorating and essential listen but it wasn’t perfect. The production just didn’t have the depth and gravitas to bring their savage bass-less assault to the same level of clarity and precision that their 2001 masterpiece “Prowler in the yard” had. On “Phantom Limb” the production accentuates these qualities in the same way the production of “Prowler in the Yard” did despite being slightly more refined.

This is not to say this is a retread of “Prowler in the Yard” though, there are as many 3 plus minute something songs as there are those that are just under 2 minutes in length. Pig Destroyer also seems to have gotten one step closer to their aim to “bring back what grindcore should be”. “Phantom Limb” is more focused, intense and well constructed than any previous Pig Destroyer release. On “Prowler in the yard” they proved they could beat all other second wave grindcore acts in 60 seconds flat.

On “Phantom Limb they prove are not just about brutality and mindless speed, as their lightning fast assaults are peppered with breakdowns and explosions of slower (but compared to other bands, still pretty fast!) riffage that bring to mind Bolt Thrower, classic Slayer and on one section on the end of “Heathen Temple” Black Sabbath. With this album Pig Destroyer have continued to do what they’ve been doing for ten years now; reinventing grindcore for the 21^st century whilst staying firmly attached to the late 80’s roots of the genre.

Sickening Horror at Myspace

Sickening Horror Hail from Greece and at the time of this recorded had Nile drummer George Kolias in their ranks. This is quite an interesting death metal record that features black Metal and jazz elements and is certainly an album worth exploring if you like experimental death metal that retains most of all the atmosphere and hallmarks of the genre that we all know and love. “When Landscapes Bled Backwards” displays a discreet technical edge in that although these guys could if they wanted to spend their time pulling some Necrophagist style material off, they use their extremely proficient skills only when it suits the song itself allowing the groove of the tracks on display on here to flow admirably and naturally.

The death metal style on display mixes a more technical take on post-Chris Barnes Cannibal Corpse with a more bombastic and chaotic Morbid Angel circa “Blessed are the Sick” with just a pinch of Vader. Now if this was just what Sickening Horror were about alone they would be of interest to devoted fans of Death Metal at the very least, but the combination of Black Metal and Jazz influences makes this release rise above being something only of interested to genre devotee’s. Avant-Garde Black Metal bands such as Dodheimsgard and Ved Buens Verde are cited as influences and this can be seen in both the searing icy ‘almost BM, but not quite’ passages that punctuate the death metal segments at point and the industrial keyboard effects that add an unsettling ambience to certain tracks.

The jazz influence can mostly be seen in the rhythm section pairing of Kolias and bassist Ilias Daras, who bring a highly technical and novel approach to the concept of a Death Metal rhythm system whilst not forsaking any of the concepts and facets that Death Metal fans have come to expect. Daras’s performance on this album is highly impressive with his bass work being reminiscent of Steve DiGorgio’s work with Death with “Forsake my Bleeding” being a prime example. On the eighth track “Virus Detected” Sickening Horror do something a little difference and massively increase the Jazz elements of their sound to create an almost linear piece of work which sounds like Ephel Duath being beaten up at a death metal gig.

This is an experimental Death Metal album that dares to leap into the unknown but still has enough genre trademarks within it to appeal to traditionalists but crucially without isolating those who want something more on the edge. In conclusion it’s well worth a purchase.

Brain Drill at Myspace

One thing that can be said about Brain Drill’s debut and perhaps only album “Apocalyptic Feasting” is although its not an album that will universally loved by all death metal fans, some devotees of the genre will find lots on offer here. Imagine Necrophagist’s technical wizardry/overkill (delete as appropriate in regards to your preferences) with the straight up chaotic brutality of King of all Kings/I Monarch era Hate Eternal and you’ve basically thought up Brain Drill. For those of you who loved the virtuoso performances of Mohammed Sucimez and co, you will be blown away by the level of technical ability exhibited all members of the band on this record. To be honest I think the “Apocalyptic Feasting” Brain Drill line-up probably just about beats the Necrophagist’s “Epitaph” line-up in terms of sheer musical skill.

There are people out there who aren’t really that fond of Necrophagist; they believe that concepts such as song-writing and atmosphere are jettisoned in pursuit of excessive and almost masturbatory technicality. Well don’t worry as that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a record that you will automatically stay clear of. Brain Drill have superb song writing skills and their brutal death metal Influences ensure that the tracks are well rounded and natural flowing pieces of tech death metal.

For a debut album, this is about as good as it gets these days, and it has to be hoped that Brain Drill head honcho Dylan Ruskin can put together a new stable line up as although some death metal fans will regard “Apocalyptic Feasting as an abomination I’d love to see where these guys progress if they make another album.

Skeletonwitch at Myspace

At my second look at a thrash revival trend I have decided to choose a blackened thrash band in the shape of Ohio’s Skeletonwitch and I have to say this is a band that makes me believe! On “Beyond the Permafrost” Skeletonwitch create 13 thrash tunes that would have been legendary if they had been let slip circa 1986. The riffs, leads and solos on here are all exemplary and the construction of the songs allows one ravaging torrent of guitar mastery to flow into another and create a headbanging fiesta where you won’t stop snapping your neck until the album is over.

Stylistically, Skeletonwitch take the most melodic elements from “In the Sign of Evil” era Sodom and early Bathory and mix them in with the bay area thrash sound and some vintage Immortal. The production by GWAR member Cory Smoot is a crucial part of this records success, with the crystal clear yet balls to the wall approach that he took amplifying this albums power tenfold. Vocalist Chance Garnett’s flexible but defiant Black Metal vocal style also helps to make this album a memorable and regular listen.

Skeletonwitch have a sound that is unmistakably their own rather than belonging to one of the 80’s greats. This is definitely one thrash revival band that can definitely hold their own with the big boys. Listen to the 2 and half minutes of “fire from the sky” and tell me you don’t have just the smallest urge to throw yourself around the room with abandon and with no sense of care. This is what thrash metal is all about my friends!