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Grindcore is a genre that can safely be declared almost extinct: born around the mid-'80s at the hands of the timeless Napalm Death, it represents one of the most extreme musical genres due to its speed, brevity, and total lack of melody in the songs.
The intent of its creators was probably to combine the social protest and extremism of Punk Hardcore with the violence and darkness of Thrash/Death Metal from bands like Sepultura, Testament, and Possessed. The result, Grindcore indeed, is a genre that by its nature is loud and engaging and does not lend itself much to being a carrier of a political message: it is natural, therefore, that Napalm Death abandoned it in favor of Death Metal, more suitable for their purposes and certainly less "evasive."
Having said that, you might believe I made a mistake in writing the artist and album title and that I am about to review some CD from the immense discography of the Grind forefathers: but no, for that you will have to wait a little longer. After Napalm Death's shift, true Grindcore indeed garnered very few followers: most turned towards Gore Grind (its variation focused on Horror and Splatter themes), some used it as a means for experimentation (Naked City), some for the soundtrack of their deliriums (Pig Destroyer and generally the latest generations of bands), and some finally tried to continue that path of social protest against everything that doesn't suit (them).
Among these are certainly the Leng T'che, a Belgian band born under the name "Anal Torture," which later chose to adopt a Chinese name, that of a torture ritual: despite this particularity, this group has absolutely nothing of Gore. The LP in question is their debut (recorded, among other things, for "TheSpew," an Italian label) and presents the classic standards of Grind work (eighteen tracks with an average duration of one and a half minutes). Although this is not a genre that requires much technique, indeed, often many incompetents seek refuge in it to compensate for technical shortcomings, Leng T'Che demonstrate having a decidedly good instrumental command (although it cannot compete with other bands in the extreme Metal scene).
Particularly notable is the performance of the drummer, who delights the listener with a series of not at all simple counter-tempos. The work of the guitars is undoubtedly precise, but it doesn't offer emotional finesse. Notable, however, is the alternation of Screaming in the faster parts and Growling in the slower ones, an alternation that often results in truly explosive duets: indeed, both voices are powerful and not exaggerated and represent an excellent seal to the quintet's proposal. All the songs, despite being very short, have their own structure which, although not innovative, distinguishes them from one another and demonstrates a certain commitment in writing (which as far as I'm concerned is an element I always appreciate). Certainly playing in the band's favor is the excellent production, able to exalt every sound giving it a monstrous impact and truly "muscular." But certainly, even without such adequate production, the music of Leng T'Che would remain extremely engaging and decidedly angry: the riffing and the pressing of the drums are a real punch in the face that unequivocally sets off a violent headbanging.
In this sense, one could say that Grindcore is the paroxysm of Hard Rock: music played with the sole intent of making noise. In my opinion, the main note of merit for these guys should be dedicated to their lyrics: Leng T'Che, to quote Alfieri, have "the universal as an enemy." There is not a single human typology spared from a barrage of heavy and sharp critiques that often transcend into mere ignominy: alongside extremely violent and extreme music, they offer more than gratuitous outrage and provocative lyrics towards everyone (from horror movie directors to Black metal fans), including samples on the phraseology of the word "Fuck." The quintet thus presents itself as a band halfway between the absurd and the committed, to which, compared to many others, several things must be acknowledged, first and foremost good taste (absence of the usual overused Gore themes) and the choice of blind critique of everything that exceeds in affectation.
Secondly, their musical proposal is enjoyable (we are talking about Grind, don't misunderstand) and not too demanding but at the same time well packaged and not rough. Thirdly, perhaps the greatest merit of the band, they contribute to keeping alive and worthy of listening a music scene that, as specified in many other reviews, is really losing its way. The sound, strongly influenced by Punk, meets in "Death By A Thousand Cuts" a certain rocking taste that makes the record, pardon the term, quite "light" and relatable. So no suffocating atmospheres, just a desire to be polemical for the sake of it and a desire to split your eardrums with a healthy dose of heavy music.
An album I feel like recommending to all extreme Metal enthusiasts as well as anyone looking for a well-played and composed product that, however, does not require great emotional concentration. Irreverent, powerful, and wild.
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