Published on Mar 13, 2001
I just discovered something that might just put Starbucks out of
business. You don’t need a triple latte and scone to wake you up on
a cold, dreary morning. All you need is a simple 30-minute blast of
Extreme Noise Terror.
This seminal British grindcore band’s latest disc,
Being And Nothing, is a real shot in the arm for a genre
that has seen far too many cookie-cutter bands. Deploying a one-two
punch in the vocal section with Dean Jones and Adam Catchpole
handling the growls, this band makes me remember just what I first
heard in grindcore that made it so exciting for me.
The opening title track alone is the equivalent of shock paddles
to the heart if you’re not fully prepared for the onslaught that is
to follow. Drummer Zac O’Neil lures you into a feeling of safety by
counting off the beat with his sticks – then, along with the rest
of the band, proceeds to demolish his drum kit with speed and
furiousity I haven’t heard in a long time.
The dual guitar attack of Butcher and Gian Pyres (the latter
from Cradle Of Filth) is as powerful as the dual-vocalist kidney
punch that makes up
Being And Nothing. Each musician (including the singers)
seem to know when to back off of their instruments, allowing the
listener a moment to catch their breath before the audio pummeling
begins anew. It’s not often one enjoys feeling like they’re going
12 rounds with Mike Tyson, but this is true bliss for fans of this
genre.
If there’s any drawback to this album, it’s that the attack is
so furious that it’s sometimes difficult to separate one song from
the other. Sure, there’s a brief moment on “Man Made Hell” when
Jones and Catchpole are a little easier to comprehend, but they
soon return to the indecipherable vocal attack that is a signpost
of grindcore. (Lyric sheets might have been of some assistance.)
But it seems to go without saying that tracks such as “Awakening,”
“No Longer As Slaves” and “Through Mayhem” will cause more than a
few necks to be real sore in the morning.
Being And Nothing might be a first taste of Extreme Noise
Terror to some people, but once you’ve tried it, my guess is that
it won’t be the last. A form of caffiene for the ears, this disc is
one of the best I’ve heard in the grindcore genre.