Brooklyn, New York has spawned some iconic bands over the years across the rock and metal genres, ranging from Hardcore icons Biohazard to Gothic Metal titans Type O Negative and now you can add Grindcore three piece Magrudergrind to that list. Returning after six years with a brand new release, it is simply titled “II”. The only way I can really sum up what this 15 track, 23 minute long slice of grind is all about is to just tell you to listen to it, but here’s hoping my words can try to sum it up.
Let that fact above sink in – 15 tracks, 23 minutes. This is not for your casual metaller who thinks they know grind by owning a Napalm Death shirt. From the off,” Imperium in Imperio” can be summed up with a simple statement; Holy fuck this is intense. That statement can pretty much be applied to the following 14 tracks. High speed guitars and blastbeats, ferocious vocal screams and some small moments of full on groove are the basic components which make up this release and before you can even take a breather, the next track follows up and doesn’t let up on the violent assault.
There are some punkish elements in the sound, mostly through the rawness of the release and some of the dissonant guitars and beefy bass tones but it’s mostly just grindcore and powerviolence cranked up to 10 and then the dial forcibly removed so it cannot go any lower. Blending the sheer intensity of Nails with the rapid fire assault of Wormrot, Magrudergrind have brought the take no prisoners approach with this album. Full of hate and a scathing look at the world, it’s like any good grind record, it lays out just how bleak and shit things are because of humanity and it smashes you into submission with it.
Overall, if you don’t like grind, avoid it. For those who like their music with the speed, intensity and ferocity of a Cheetah on PCP, this is essential listening.
(8/10 Fraggle)
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