Split Level Housing: Meth Leppard/Infanticide Split 7 Inch Review

 

    The House of Grindcore has never really done a review of a split 7 inch, but with the prevalence of split EP's in the genre it only seemed inevitable. So I had to start a new segment called Split Level Housing  that will handle any split record reviews from here on out. This week my copy of the Meth Leppard/Infanticide split 7 inch vinyl came in the mail from Night Animal Records so what better choice for an inaugural split review. 

    Unless you've been living under a non-grindcore rock, you're most likely familiar with Meth Leppard. The South Australian two-piece has been absolutely prolific since 2015. Releasing a split EP or sometimes two a year up until their much anticipated full length album Woke in 2020. All of which helped raise them up as one of the top bands in the genre. Musically, Meth Leppard stick to a tried-and-true sound that needs little deviation. Their ballistic song writing and quality production have made them a near flawless band and they remain so on their side of this new split with Infanticide.

    Guitarist, vocalist and previous member of Adelaide powerviolence band PowerXChuck, Ryan "Cheese" Chessman makes up one half of the Aussie duo and brings some heavy,  persistently kinetic guitar work that ping-pongs throughout their 5 minute and 10 second side of this split. Ryan's talent on the fret board is a huge part of Meth Leppard's popularity. Instead of just relying on power chords alone, he interlaces them with spring loaded single string runs that keep songs fresh and energized. Tiered upon that, his vocals consist of low monosyllabic bursts that sounds like the cutting on and off of a blow torch into the microphone and scathing higher shrieks that are systematically shotgunned on to each track. The vocals are less diverse than the guitar playing but work just as well. 

    Drummer Kieren Murray fills out the remainder of the band as well as expertly fulfills his duties as blast beat machine. He is relentless and perpetual. The drum work on this split and all of Meth Leppard's splits are expertly precise and sounds batteringly oppressive. Again, a lot of this is helped by great production. The mix overall is perfect. The tone of the guitar tracks and the pitch of the drums layered over them are unerring, as is the band's musical talent. Their 2020 live set on the Global Grindcore Alliance video sessions looked almost effortless. The combination of all of these elements brings us another consistent and enjoyable release from Meth Leppard. 

On the opposite side we have Sweden's Infanticide with their first new material since 2013's Misconception of Hope, which was ultimately a disappointing full length. Not so much for the music, but mainly due in large part to the production. The album was too quiet and distant in my opinion. It left the album emasculated as it sounded like it was filtered through a clock radio. I'm unsure if this was just some unfortunate out come of mastering or some intentional choice for a low-fi sound perhaps as a tribute to the regions black metal roots. Either way, coming up against past efforts like 2007's Extinction Plan and 2010's From Our Cold Dead Hands, it was jarring. The band's material on this split EP is not a return to those earlier releases, but a continuation of the sound Misconception of Hope was building towards, yet louder. This is most likely because these songs were recorded in 2013 as well. My guess is they're possibly from the same recording sessions as Misconception of Hope. 

    The standard wiry guitar work offered up by guitarist Johan Malm slathered over Kristoffer Löfgren's D-beat and blast beat mix of punk and metal mark what we've come to know as Infanticide's signature sound over the years. I've also always enjoyed their inclusion of Kristofer Jankarls' bass audibly in the mix. Although it's usually fuzzy, it does help beef things up and is nice to hear in a genre that can have a "take it or leave" type of attitude towards the instrument.

    Another noticeable evolution of the band's growth is in the vocals. The band's earlier, albeit by no means exclusive reliance on Simon Frid's low frothy, crust punk vocals are now accompanied by Jankarls' higher, wilder vocals that have become more apparent in the EP's between From Our Cold Dead Hands and Misconception of Hope. I've always liked Infanticide a lot and I followed their releases closely over the years. They were one of my favorite post-Nasum bands. My apologies for the played out cliché of using Nasum as the yardstick to compare all Scandinavian grind bands. But their influence and popularity makes it an easy tool of comparison that doesn't need explanation. Yet in this case Infanticide shares members with Axis of Despair, the current band of ex-Nasum founder Anders Jakobson's. Making comparisons between these band members and countrymen hard to avoid. The band's side of the record is still quieter than their  split mates, but seems louder than Misconception of Hope ever was. If these songs are indeed from that same 2013 studio time then that seems to be the high water mark for the band.

Overall this split is a rager of a release. Meth Leppard do what they do best and remain among one of the world's best bands, which comes as no surprise. Infanticide might not be as recognized by as many listeners or may have been previously passed over by others, but this release has some of their best stuff to date. We also get two different worlds of grind here. With songs titled "KKKaren", "Trump Card" and "Canceled", Meth Leppard are bringing straight forward grind with a tongue-in-cheek approach. Obviously poking fun at current social instabilities and American ignorance. While Infanticide songs have the gloom and doom tales of warfare and mankind as a whole. (At least I assume as this release comes without lyrics.) They also display more of a mixture between metal, punk, and of course that Swedish grindcore influence. 

FFO: PLF, The Kill, Axis Of Despair

Property is Grind: Proudhon - "The Damaged Bodies" EP Review

 

Chapter I. An Introduction:

    Controversial French anarcho-mutualist philosopher and notably the first self-declared anarchist, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon wrote that anarchy is "the absence of a master, of a sovereign." Basically the idea of order without power. His bottom up theories set forth in his 1840 published work What is Property? should certainly be required reading for anyone interested in the political ideology. 

   Modern France's Proudhon, a self-declared "rusty death grind" band bearing the philosopher's name, are a two piece hailing from Besançon, hometown of their aforementioned namesake. In February of this year they released what appears to be their debut EP, The Damaged Bodies. Lyrically tackling social issues ranging from labor rights to the human struggle to revolution. The Damaged Bodies pays proper tribute to the father of anarchism as well as showing us that the message here is just as important as BPM. Not just an illegible band name slapped over a picture of Castle Grayskull. Even Proudhon's logo shows that there is thought behind the music.

Chapter II. Efficient Bases Of Rust:

    "Rusty death grind" is such an apt descriptor for The Damaged Bodies. The cover art shows us the oil painting depiction of the harsh toils of the proletarian laborers amidst the blazing glow of the factory hearth. Which is a great analogy for the sound of this EP. Much like the factory floor imagery, we get the sense of the machinery turning the gears here. The production tone is dark and warm and spacious; albeit with a slightly muted feeling. Yet guitarist Antoine Hillion and drummer Thomas Hagmann do a good job of creating atmosphere within this space. Especially during the slower portions in which the guitar rings out and the drums hold stride letting breakdowns breath. Thomas' drumming powers this grinding contraption with his piston like snare strikes that have a perfect dull, solid impact sound. The resonance of the cymbal work mixes with Antoine's guitar distortion creating a chirr akin to steam hissing from corroded piping. Meanwhile, the mid paced guitar chugging keeps the engine idling and systematically heaving forward. Vocal duties fall upon Thomas who mainly sticks to low gutturals; much in the vein and monotonicity of a cinder block being dragged across the concrete. He also provides higher pitched shrieks reserved sparingly for strategic emphasis. Both are standard for the genre. My only criticism would be that this use of space can sometimes border on becoming too loose. Tightening the screws on future material will really add some more fire to the furnace. I've heard that Antoine pulled double duty playing both bass and guitar, but the bass seems largely absent from the mix. 

Chapter III. Methods Pursued In This Work: 

    On the surface, Proudhon draws immediate comparisons to Assück who are known for their heavy pummeling grindcore songs that are interjected with slower death metal breakdowns. But underneath this superficial similarity Proudhon is also drawing from what sounds more like 90's groove metal, in my opinion. There's more of a bounce in the these down tempo runs. In particular with songs like "Canuts Revolt." Combine those with the ramping up of faster moving skank beats and you get some really catchy songs. The pop of the snare keeps you dialed in and your head nodding along. You can almost see the flux of the pit at live shows. It's almost as if these songs were crafted for moshing. Proudhon has sprouted up somewhere in the evolutionary lineage between Insect Warfare and War Master. 

    Side A seems to be focused more on the details mentioned above, whereas side B tends to run a little faster and tighter. Specifically the last three tracks of "Puits Sainte-Marie," "1936" and "Les Temps Nouveaux." "1936" is one of the shortest song on the EP and it ends with the song literally being beaten to death. It is my favorite song altogether. "Les Temps Nouveaux" is probably the band's most ambitious track. In addition to being the longest song on this release it also introduces in some melodic riffs that really help push the track into Nasum territory. It even has a false ending that breaks into a full melodic crust outro that is really nice and unexpected.  

Chapter IV. Exposition Of The Idea:

    Tonally, as a band and as a whole, Proudhon has a very wide appeal. I could easily see the The Damaged Bodies being well received among crust punks, metal-heads and grind kids alike. In particularly listeners with a fondness for anarcho-punk sensibilities or the Scandinavian grind scene. France's own grind scene has been killing it the last few years with amazing releases from Chiens, Whoresnation who also hail from Besançon and Unsu who have made more than one appearance on this blog. Proudhon is well underway towards establishing themselves as an up-and-coming fixture in France's who's who of grindcore.

    In summation, Proudhon doesn't reinvent the grind wheel. But they don't do anything particularly wrong on this EP either. In fact, the songs are captivating, angry and brutish, at least up to a point. If I had to nit-pick something it would be a slight lack of dynamicity. There's almost a sense of reservation. But that could be something lost in the studio mix or it could be something having to do with the weight given to the amount of metal over grind. Whatever it is, it is certainly an unnecessary criticism on my part over all, because The Damaged Bodies is a quality EP. This is a huge first step in the way of a freshman release.

FFO: Assück, Coldworker, Slavebreed