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Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/back-to-the-grindstone-brutal-truth-need-to-control/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Back to the Grindstone: Brutal Truth – Need to Control</a>By SaundersBack to the Grindstone is a love letter feature dedicated to the appreciation of all things grindcore. This most extreme of extreme niche genres has been kicking since the late ’80s, growing in underground stature as the years march on. The rule of thumb to this feature is simple; spotlight will be on grind albums old and new, though will not include releases from the past five years, or albums previously covered on this website. Genre classics, underappreciated gems, old school and nu school will be covered, highlighting albums aimed at established fans and curious listeners interested in diving into the cesspool of the grind scene.Despite being a big name in the history of grindcore, arguably New York’s legendary Brutal Truth is a touch underrated. While the band split in 2014, they left behind an excellent catalog of game-changing grind, highlighted by their first two LPs, 1992’s stone-cold classic, Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses, and the subject of this feature piece, their experimental, wildly innovative sophomore album, 1994’s Need to Control. Already boasting an early grind classic under their belts courtesy of the nasty, precision slice of death powered grind of the debut, Brutal Truth turned the genre on its head with Need to Control. Originally, I planned to write this piece as a double whammy, Yer Metal is Olde/Grindstone feature in 2024. Unfortunately, after chasing my tail again, it didn’t eventuate. Nevertheless, seems the time is right to dust off Back to the Grindstone to applaud and unpack the grind masterwork well ahead of its time.Need to Control both encompasses and rejects grindcore conventions. Daringly expanding on the genre’s early groundwork, while spitting jagged shards of noise, industrial, death, and punk into a brutally violent, nuanced, and thoroughly demented mutation of grind’s core values. The line-up of Kevin Sharp (vocals), Rich Hoak (drums), Brent McCarty (guitars), and legendary bass slinger Dan Lilker (ex-Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, S.O.D., Venomous Concept) captured a lightning in a bottle moment. Kicking off a bold sophomore effort with a decidedly non-grind song was a ballsy move that paid off. “Collapse” illustrates Brutal Truth’s bold adventurism outside grind parameters, its clanking industrial death stomp, dual powered vox, and ominous mid-paced grooves striking with an iron fist. Deviations from the out-and-out gold-plated grind blasters (“Black Door Mine,” “I See Red,” “Bite the Hand,” ‘Brain Trust,” etc) dominating the album fail to compromise cohesive flow or blunt the band’s visceral attacks. The atmosphere is intense, the energy electric, while the varied pacing and experimental flourishes serve to add increased potency and creativity to the finished package.Featuring brighter melodies, hooky riffs, and groovier accessibility, the didgeridoo-adorned “Godplayer” is the closest thing to a metal hit the Brutal Truth boys ever approached. And it works a treat, still packing a heavy wallop atop a typically unhinged vocal performance from Sharp. It’s another fine example of the album’s ahead of its time class, nestled amongst the album’s overarching grindy chaos, which also includes an overdrawn noise experiment (“Ironlung”), fun punk cover (The Germs “Media Blitz”), and crust punk-grind crossovers (“Choice of the New Generation”). The album is a non-stop blast, deftly balancing theNeed to Control holds up remarkably well, remaining a cutting-edge example of the genre some thirty-plus years later. Brutal Truth continued to carve a unique pathway in the grind field during the subsequent years of their career. However, the blunt force thrust of energy and precision death-influenced grind of their debut and infectious genre-scrambling innovation of Need to Control remain the band’s greatest achievements.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/1994/" target="_blank">#1994</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/back-to-the-grindstone/" target="_blank">#BackToTheGrindstone</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/brutal-truth/" target="_blank">#BrutalTruth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/grindcore/" target="_blank">#Grindcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/need-to-control/" target="_blank">#NeedToControl</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/back-to-the-grindstone-insect-warfare-world-extermination/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Back to the Grindstone: Insect Warfare – World Extermination</a>By SaundersBack to the Grindstone is a love letter feature dedicated to the appreciation of all things grindcore. This most extreme of extreme niche genres has been kicking since the late ’80s, growing in underground stature as the years march on. The rule of thumb to this feature is simple; spotlight will be on grind albums old and new, though will not include releases from the past five years, or albums previously covered on this website. Genre classics, underappreciated gems, old school and nu school will be covered, highlighting albums aimed at established fans and curious listeners interested in diving into the cesspool of the grind scene.For the long overdue second installment of the Back to the Grindstone feature, it is time to examine one of modern grind’s great treasures, a raw, uncompromising and gritty blast of unvarnished, tough-as-nails grind from Texan killing crew, Insect Warfare. A one-hit wonder, in the fact the now defunct outfit only ever released one full-length album amidst a series of shorter form nuggets, Insect Warfare made their major statement count big time. Regardless, the utterly relentless twenty-two minutes of elite grind comprising World Extermination is a must-listen for the uninitiated grind freak, or any hardened grind veteran yet to be acquainted with what the lads served up here.Released in 2007, World Extermination slots into the modern realms of grind, yet eschews the polished or streamlined aspects of some modern grind, in favor of an incredibly intense and raw throwback to the old school values of legendary acts Brutal Truth, Phobia and Napalm Death. The trio make one hell of a ruckus, boasting one of the meanest, nastiest guitar tones in modern grind history, as crusty, serrated grind riffs collide with frenetic drumming, while the rabid grunts, growls and screams of band mouthpiece Rahi Geramifar rage over the top. It’s sharp, brutal stuff, not for the faint of heart. White knuckled intensity and shrieking extremity are key grindcore components, but without the song-smithing smarts it can devolve into a noisy mess with little substance. Insect Warfare cram tons of nasty riffs, rhythmic shifts, and rotten grooves to keep the listener clambering back for more.The riffs are catchy in the purest grind sense, while the gritty, aggro percussion and organic, no-frills production lends the album its frantic, off-the-chain edge and vitality. And don’t be fooled by the short runtime and quantity of songs, even within compact time capsules, the songs offer plenty of bang for your buck. World Extermination tears by with such reckless abandon that it often demands instant replay, and as with many classic grind albums, it is best absorbed in one concentrated rush. Highlights are plentiful and tend to chop and change from listen to listen, however, there are a slew of noteworthy modern grind classics to explore. The musicianship is excellent, with one of the tightest performances you will hear on a grindcore album. Beau Beasley handles guitars and bass, and it’s his violently speedy, deceptively infectious riffs that propel the album and provide the hooks, working in perfect unison with Dobber Beverly’s imaginative, frenetic drumming performance.“Self Termination” raises the bar early; a tightly wound ball of rage and relentless energy, featuring gnarly, hook-riddled riffs, insanely fast drumming and unhinged vocals. “Manipulator” features the requisite high-octane blasts of barely contained mayhem with an epic closing groove riff that is the ultimate payoff. Elsewhere, the awe-inspiring intensity and chaos of “Mass Communcation Mindfuck” is the ideal soundtrack to a violent rampage, “Hydraphobia” welds toughened grooves and headbanging riffage, with glass-shattering grind outbursts and manic drumming. Special mention must also go to drummer Beverly, who attacks his kit with finesse, lightning-limbed speed, and concussive battery. Closer “Evolved into Obliteration” shows some restraint, its ominous, seething tone and throat-shredding, Iron Monkey-esque higher-pitched vox forming a vicious climax to close proceedings.Perhaps not the most suitable candidate for first-timers exploring the wonders of grindcore, World Extermination is nevertheless essential listening and one of the milestone grind albums released in the past twenty years. Sadly, it was the only proper LP released before Insect Warfare split up, but deserves to be considered a grindcore hall-of-famer and modern classic.<a href="https://insectwarfare.bandcamp.com/album/world-extermination" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>  <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2009/" target="_blank">#2009</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/625-thashcore/" target="_blank">#625Thashcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/back-to-the-grindstone/" target="_blank">#BackToTheGrindstone</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/brutal-truth/" target="_blank">#BrutalTruth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/grindcore/" target="_blank">#Grindcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/insect-warfare/" target="_blank">#InsectWarfare</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iron-monkey/" target="_blank">#IronMonkey</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/napalm-death/" target="_blank">#NapalmDeath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/phobia/" target="_blank">#Phobia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/world-extermination/" target="_blank">#WorldExtermination</a>

Charlotte WalkerJust been for a 30 minute power walk around town to try and wake myself up a bit. Feeling very sleep deprived so popped into the Spar (dubbed by the media “the poshest Spar in Wales”, I’ll have you know) for a caffeinated beverage. Now to check my work emails from my day off yesterday <a href="https://mas.to/tags/BackToTheGrindstone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BackToTheGrindstone</a>

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