As geriatric jack-o-lanterns molder on doorsteps and bonfires smolder in fields, the days of horror thronged gourd worship are now behind us. The cold winds blow colder and carry away the skittering leaves from suburban sidewalks. The shadows grow bolder around the shuddering embers of the rural hearths as we clamor for their warmth. Nothing but long dark days of despondence and melancholia are all that lie ahead—bleak, barren months of boredom. By the twiddling of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes...
For those of you who are not looking forward to the listlessness of winter and its messianic celebratory implications, I have the perfect record recommendation to keep you warm in the form of Wise Grind Records and Psychocontrol Records' 2022 split release between Los Angeles' Shitbrains and Prague's Controlled Existence. Both bands offer two similar yet geographically separate styles of grindcore. But are such a cohesive pairing that unless you are truly paying attention or physically flipping the vinyl over on the turntable you might not instantly notice the transition from one band to the next. This record pairing almost seems as unavoidable as it is complimentary.
Now, this record has sat on my "to-do" shelf for way too long, so I feel obligated to let the reader know that I am, spoiler alert, a big Shitbrains fan. They are the So-Cal standard of what a dive venue/non-venue grindcore band should be. The two-piece guitar and drum combo specialize in a stop-and-go style of grindcore that is in and out of blast beats like someone abusing the "pulse" button of a NutriBullet blender. In the studio, Shitbrains is a band that practically came out of the womb fully formed and ready to go. They could have very easily released a slew of early releases marred by muddy mixes and subpar guitar work. Instead, their debut self-titled EP had no business being as good as it was. Their use of off and on blast beats chained together with ping-ponging kit rolls in an exceptionally tight format became a through-line from their subsequent 2015 split with Brainshit to their 2021 split with Sordo. But my favorite attribute was that the drums were way out in front of the mix. Similar to my acclaim of Noisy Neighbors' 2018 self-titled EP. Whether by accident or intention, I am here for the extreme emphasis on that sweet poppy punk popcorn piccolo sounding snare. Shitbrains is a great example of high energy, low-fat grindcore that carries itself with some of that local west coast powerviolence swagger and street-smarts.
As for their latest split with Controlled Existence, the Los Angeles reigning kings of the backyard show bring us a smoother, fuller, more even-keeled sound punctuated with the same sizzling staccato worship and dueling paint peeling shrieks. When not going completely ballistic on the snare, the band is cherry-picking through their repertoire of hardcore and mosh-metal breakdowns and doling them out as they see fit. The highlight of these breakdowns is the overqualified footwork that keeps songs just as kinetic as the stop/start blast runs, but in a circle-pit-around-the-keg kind of a way. These short sludgier intermissions also showcase the real talent and proficiency of the guitar which otherwise operates somewhere between a shotgun and a flamethrower. The exploitation of unembellished chords by a capable guitarist really results in an understated ferocity that is the glue of Shitbrains.
Prague's Controlled Existence is one those bands that feels as if they have been around forever and seem to have always cropped up in my vinyl mail order. Namely, splits with Alea Iacta Est and Days of Desolation in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These releases cemented the band's sound as a revved up, crusty style of hyper-blasting grindcore. Thunderous guitars, circular riffing, furious vocals and high-speed drumming are all stock and standard. After an almost five year hiatus in releases, the split LP with fellow Czech grinders, Needful Things, in 2021 saw a beefier toned and better produced Controlled Existence.
2022's split EP with Shitbrains has the band just as well produced with the same musical elements that their previous releases established—the same circular riffs, the same guitar build-ups, the same use of blast beats over empty space. Yet, there are some noticeable exceptions. In comparison with their split-mates, Controlled Existence come off as the more traditional grindcore sounding of the two bands. Their mix is warmer and their songwriting is less urgent than their previous releases. You can also hear what sounds like a slight drop in BPM's. Not that any of that is a bad thing and not that they are not completely pummeling in their speed. They are still faster than most. It just sounds like Controlled Existence have a lot more headroom within their songs. The band doesn't seem as rushed in their compositions which gives them more space to breathe. And it should be noted that we are talking about tracks that are all only mere seconds long. Less than half the length of their split-mates', mind you. Controlled Existence are operating here as seasoned veterans, which they are. They have purged many of their subgenre influences and doubled down on that darker European grindcore purity. They are carrying as much bulk as speed these days. This stouter version is underscored by the vocals which are audibly lower and heavier than their discography a decade ago. The same vocals that can be heard on the Needful Things LP. Possibly a lineup change post hiatus? I don't know. I find it exceedingly difficult to keep up with band's and current memberships.
Ultimately, this split record between Shitbrains and Controlled Existence makes me think of the anxiety and difficulty that I am going to have when I eventually have to compile my "best of 2022" list. This year has been an amazing year for grindcore releases and it certainly is not showing any signs of tapering as we get closer to the new year. This EP plays like a 1944 Normandy invasion—the chaotic maelstrom of bullets, spindrift and vociferous hysteria. The hammering of MG-34 machine gun fire from coastal pockmarked pillboxes. Fired in short bursts as to not overheat the barrels. The "do-re-mi" of ricocheting rounds against the beached Czech hedgehogs followed with more rapid automatic fire. But eventually it just lets those Mausers rip. Melted barrel tubing be damned. This split is definitely going to need a place on that list. It could easily be looked at as a perfect record. It's brisk, bright, invigorating and fast as fuck. You can't really ask for more than that. It's great to have more material from these two personal favorites.
FFO: Lycanthrophy, Mellow Harsher, Suffering Mind, Days of Desolation, Chainsaw Squid
Listen to the album: https://wisegrindsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/shitbrains-controlled-existence-split
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