Various Artists
Gods Of Grind

"And now you'll hear on the stereo the heroes who make you dream..."

That's exactly how it is because the four bands involved in this collection from "Earache Records" (and once again I must write: may the Nottingham label be ever glorified) have made the history of BrutalDeathDoom. Bands that I have followed with depraved affection since their very distant beginnings.

But I've never understood one thing about the album: the use of the term Grind in its title. Because in fact, apart from some spoiled remnants in the tracks of Carcass, there is no trace of Grindcore; this takes nothing away from the quality of the work, considering the participants.

I've already talked to you in the past about Entombed, about Carcass, about Cathedrals, and recently also about Confessors. The wise Latins used to say "repetita iuvant"; an expression I make my own to justify yet another excursion into such ferocious musical territories.

History tells us that in 1992, the year the work was published, the four bands toured together in England; a handful of dates that devastated the venues and eardrums of the astonished attendees. What a stroke of luck those lucky ones had!?! Seeing these war machines live together... so much envy on my part.

It's up to Entombed to start the massacre. "Stranger Aeons" is a tentacular mid-tempo in its brief flow; three minutes that well condense the disruptive musical approach of the Swedes. Downtuned guitars with that crushing "touch" which is one of their basic characteristics, a tempestuous and dynamic drum (after all, Nicke "Hellacopters" Andersson is among the best Death Metal drummers). With that chilling growl from hellish abysses.

The baton is passed to Carcass with the best track of the lot: "Incarnated Solvent Abuse". The two distorted guitars know no pause, constructing continuous riffs from a necrotic operating room. The double malicious grunt of Jeff and Bill tells us a nice little story from a weekly crime report: "Extravasated bonas adhesive incarnate A pellucid quietus nocuosly I create". I encourage its translation; a song taken from that medical pathology text which is the album "Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious".

After such a start, a certain slowdown is necessary; Cathedral, led by Lee Dorrian, takes care of that with the Heavy-Doom of "Soul Sacrifice". The only true and undisputed heirs of Black Sabbath. No need to go further with useless words.

And finally, we arrive at the most quirky, the most atypical of the bunch; the Americans Confessor and their "Condemned". The very high-pitched voice of Scott, the offbeat drums of Steve (which seem to be playing another song so far removed from the other instruments): a painful Doom-Progressive(!!).

There are ten other tracks remaining; I'll stop here. Discover them for yourselves.

Ad Maiora.