Aussie band, Remains came to life in 2019 but their members were all individually established on the local underground metal circuit in bands like Fuck I’m Dead, The Kill and Shallow Grave. “Grind Til Death” is the band’s first full length outing and given its title and the fact it contains 18 tracks over a lean 35-minute run time suggests this will not be an album to soothe the senses or serenade your significant other.
Like an intro to a Mad Max film, “Remainiacs Arise” opens up and when the clattering sensory assault of “Bloodthirst” announces itself you’re left in no doubt as to the journey you’re about to undertake. The guttural, snarled vocals from Tony Forde and Jay Jones’s maniacal drumming provide what feels like many smacks to the chops. Venomous and with an attack that is surprising, the tracks are lean and focussed. Indeed, only a handful crack the two-minute mark. Mixing death metal and grindcore, their sound doesn’t deviate the course and while not necessarily breaking boundaries, the execution is so precise and aggressive that you can’t help but be impressed and swallowed up by its intensity. The cyclonic fury of tracks like “Body In Bin” and “You’re On Fire” have a very Napalm Death quality and are immense blasts of noise.
Dave Hill is on guitar and along with bassist Rohan, they create brief moments of real groove on tracks like “Groganator”, “Lords Of Grind” and “Remains” where these shifts are welcome and hugely effective. This is the nearest the band steer towards the concept of light and shade but the heaviness created is truly impressive. While the growled vocals border on the psychotic and tortured, there is a surprising clarity so you don’t miss the content and the message. A twisted, sort of Slayer styled intro on “Human Brodo” is pretty cool mixed in amongst the intriguing ugliness of cuts like “Bludgeoned To Death” – uplifting it ain’t!
Before you know it, 35 minutes have passed and it’s very easy to have a what-the-hell-happened-there moment. They might not be creating something refreshingly new but the noise they make is irresistible enough to make you want to give it another spin. Thunder from Down Under indeed! Do it.
(7/10 Johnny Zed)
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