Extreme Noise Terror
Being and Nothing

Extreme Noise Terror have always been a band that is rarely spoken about. Despite having contributed, along with the much more well-known and popular Napalm Death, to the birth of genres like crust-punk and grindcore, the Ipswich band has always stayed quite far from the spotlight; at most they make headlines when a new album drops, but not beyond that. It must also be said that the English band tends to release new records very sparingly (7-8 years often pass between releases), so it stands to reason that their discography isn't among the most extensive and voluminous in the extreme realm, despite the group being active since as far back as 1985. And perhaps, the somewhat inconsistent average quality of their releases has always put E.N.T. a bit in the background compared to other names. However, albums like "A Holocaust in Your Head" and "Damage 381" are considered important titles in the crust/hardcore sphere.

With "Being and Nothing," their fourth studio album released in 2001, the group changes things up a bit. After 15 years of playing crust-punk at lightning speed, they decide to change course, hardening their sound and incorporating elements much more akin to death metal: lowered guitars and a cavernous and guttural growl take the place of the shrill and frenetic guitar strokes and the frenzied scream that had always been the trademark of the Englishmen. The result? A death/grind album in full force, constructed according to the classic standards of the genre. Perhaps a slightly controversial album, which at the time of its release made long-time fans of the band turn up their noses, as it leaned more towards the sounds of formations like Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, and unrelenting company.

10 tracks that flow fast, direct, and hyper-aggressive, devoid of frills or sophisticated arrangements. Guitar, bass, and drums, as per tradition, play a predominant role within the platter, and very little space is allowed for slowdowns or sound musings. Tracks like the title-track, "Through Mayhem" and "Damage Limitation" are true frontal assaults with an average length of just over two minutes, brief sound spaces where E.N.T. manage to erect a powerful wall of distorted sounds blasted at extremely high speed.

As mentioned earlier, there are few moments when they allow the listener to catch their breath. Moments that can be found in episodes like "Awakening" and "Non Believer Genocide," where they move away for a moment from blind fury, in favor of a more reasoned and constructed approach. Notable is also "Detestation," more so for its atmospheric and dark ending. But aside from these few cases, you won't find many changes or surprises during the listening of "Being and Nothing," which proceeds straight and fast as a bullet to the listener's forehead. And perhaps this is the main limitation of the album: although the riffs are well crafted, if not entirely original, there is a certain sense of repetitiveness that, over time, could tire. It is true that being varied and original in a genre like grindcore is not an easy feat, however, the rhythmic-guitaristic structure of the tracks is almost always the same, and the risk of not being able to distinguish the tracks from one another sometimes becomes predominant.

Good production, which highlights both the guitars with a sharp and decisive sound, and the guttural and cavernous growl. Less well is the drums, which sometimes risk being overshadowed by the rest of the instruments.

For the rest, "Being and Nothing," although far from being a masterpiece, is certainly an album to recommend to those who love such sounds, to those who grew up on bread and Napalm Death and ask nothing more than pure sound devastation concentrated in a short time. The band's experience and the genuineness of the proposal are certainly evident; just a pinch more variety and originality would have been enough to pull out an even more satisfying product. In any case, if you want to spend a solid half-hour of ignorant and battle-ready grind/death, this album will be able to satisfy you.