From lovely California comes the equally lovely blackened grindcore of Killgasm. When I picked up “A Stab in the Heart of Christ” and looked at the track titles and band name, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time that I mustn’t pre-judge a book by its cover. Revenge of the Panzergoat, Planet Earth Mass Grave, Cold Dead and Spread – haven’t these everyday subjects been covered before to the point of mass production? Let’s see.
A bit of solid thrash and relentless battery did no-one any harm. That’s “Black Grinding Terror”. It merged nicely into “Revenge of the Panzergoat”, which retains the thrashing battery, has deadened tones but is nothing short of an all-out assault. After a quick sample, the fury resumes with “Planet Earth Mass Grave”. The guitars seem uncontrollable but grind round and round like a chain saw. Now it’s getting serious. The riff is strong. There’s a good transformation as “The Smell of Stolen Innocence” introduces traditional death metal into the thrashing mayhem. For some reasons, probably the vocals and pace or maybe some other reason, I thought of Prostitute Disfigurement. At one point it slows down in a pleasing way without losing momentum. Again the riff work is clever and the drummer is still going for it. Not for the first time, Killgasm demonstrate that they don’t know how to end tracks. It’s like being suspended over an abyss – goes with the genre, I suppose. “Cold Dead and Spread” then takes us back to the all-out attack and provides proof that Killgasm are not a band for subtleties. This is about screams and triggers and walls of sounds. After a bit about Christian blood, putrid and sick, on we go with the title track, which another rush of energy and non-stop action. The drummer leads the charge. The screaming vocalist rants. There’s loads of movement. This galloping extravaganza then makes way for a flamboyant guitar solo, accompanied by manic drums. Mayhem ensues. This is no surprise. As thrashing noises continue to blaze away, we find ourselves at “Miserable Existence”. It’s as if someone very determined is awing through metal. Then it is like the mechanical sound of a steam engine’s pistons working up a rising gradient. The guitar plays out a deathly tune. “Miserable Existence” definitely takes us to another level. There’s a black metal feel in its dark and bleak nature. As the drum digs a deeper hold, the guitar ring has majesty. Still bleaker and blacker, “Humanity in Ashes” has a distinctly black metal ring. This one could have been called “Miserable Existence”. The despairing voice, the chaotic and seemingly uncontrollable surroundings darken the atmosphere while musically it is highly controlled. The earlier breakneck vibe has been replaced by something colder and darker. The drums add flavour to the constantly dark ring.
I liked the way that this album transformed in its style. Killgasm know what they’re doing. There’s no need for great subtlety if a band does something well. In the latter parts in the album, Killgasm added cultured atmospheric elements to an already powerful work. “A Stab in the Heart of Christ” is a well-conceived album which is full of controlled anger and at times uncontrollable energy.
(8/10 Andrew Doherty)
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