Fortunately, I currently find myself in the company of dear friends of the blog: the best in Québec, the Esoteric Order Of Dagon practitioners, the grinders Chadhel, and their brand-new split seven-inch with fellow francophones from across the Atlantic, Massive Charge. Undoubtedly, this is a record born from the friendships forged while Chadhel supported Massive Charge on their 2024 tour through Canada and Québec. We last saw Chadhel on the blog with a review of their 2023 split release with rabid dogs, Faché. This split marks Chadhel's first release since their much-acclaimed 2024 split with Hungarian crust-grinders, Jack. (I'm fairly certain there was supposed to be a review of that split, which may or may not be coming.)
Very much the opposite of my familiarity with the northern fish-god zealots, I have not heard of Massive Charge prior to this release. Formed in 2003, the French grinders released two full-lengths in 2007 and 2011 before a seemingly eight year hiatus. In 2019 and 2021 the band released a series of singles followed by their third full-length, For Those We Hate, in late 2021. After nearly two decades of releases that flew under my radar, Massive Charge's first release in almost five years has opportunely been brought to my attention.
Chadhel, ever the formidable and proficiently tight grindcore unit, returns with four new songs on this, their latest, split EP. While delivering a performance just as intense and just as tight, the band is markedly different. According to the liner notes, the band consists of only two members: founding member GT provides guitar and vocals, while former lead vocalist Yan handles vocals and drums. Yan originally joined the band following the departure of founding vocalist JP, who took time away from Chadhel back in 2023.
GT's guitarwork is still as focused and sharp as ever. His shrill and discordant fretwork convulses up the fretboard like a power drill. The siren-like repetition is almost pushed to the limit before being pulled back into heavy crushing power chords. GT's rapid off-and-on palmuted riffing, particularly in the opening track, "Internal State Of Manic Rage" lashes out with a venomous ferocity.
Normally, I would make an obligatory comparison of Chadhel to that of Pig Destroyer, based primarily on both the adept guitarwork and rigid vocals of prior releases. However, I don't hear that here. Instead, the consistency of the monotonal, guttural vocals in tandem with the pinballing guitar reminds me more of bands like Meth Leppard.
Obviously, this change in lineup resulted in an aberration in the band's songwriting and sound. I am not sure if it's psychological because of the two-piece lineup or not, but the songwriting on this EP sounds a little leaner. The band doesn't seem to venture far into arthouse dabblings or over-melodic experimentation. There's a sense of a stripped-down, nuts-and-bolts style of grindcore. Chadhel might be a few members down, but they are still just as fierce.
Unlike some of Chadhel's more polished and uber-produced past releases such as 2022's full-length, Failure//Downfall, this current split is comparably more raw and notably underproduced. The drumming seems more natural sounding without any of the usual triggers. The guitar distortion is extremely blown out and sizzling with static.
Chadhel only really suffered in the mastering of their tracks. Their side of the EP is lower in overall volume and is very bass-heavy. Turning up the volume to a more appropriate level might result in a headache-inducing strobing of the kick drum or some subwoofer trauma. I found that if you are capable of adjusting the equalization, turning the bass down about two-thirds, boosting the mids all the way up, and cranking the volume allows you to really appreciate the musicianship that much more.
France's Grand Est grindcore quintet rounds out the record's B-side with just a mere two tracks; nevertheless, within those two tracks, Massive Charge manages to cover a lot of ground. The band alternates through their blend of metal, grindcore, punk, and hardcore in just over four minutes like a dissociative identity disorder grindcore chameleon.
Immediately, track one—"Youth Crusher"—blasts open with fast, drilling death-grind before dropping down into a sort of melodic punk with a hardcore bridge. The hook-laden punk riffs and vocals remind me a lot of the street punk band, The Unseen; if they were pulverized by a double bass pedal and backed by guttural vocals.
Track two, "Candy Delivery," threw me for a loop upon first listen. The song plays more like a Sick Of It All-style of hardcore rather than a traditional grindcore song. Like a French grindcore Lon Chaney, Massive Charge changes styles completely. Even the vocals are different. If it wasn't for the guitar's similar distortion tone as well as the physical presence of the song on the tracklisting, I would think this was a completely different band. The distinct mix of hardcore and grindcore is very similar to Maryland's Strong Intention and their 2013 split with Department Of Correction.
Massive Charge pulls it off flawlessly. The guitar on "Youth Crusher" shifts from winding black metal gales to punky palmutes, while "Candy Delivery" is completely different with energetic, uptempo punk verses and plodding hardcore choruses. The drum work is just as tight, just as versatile, just as intuitive.
This split seven inch between Chadhel and Massive Charge is certainly a fun one, as the bands complement each other well. The two sides of the record definitely overlap like a Venn diagram with each band playing on-theme, while also showcasing their unique takes on the genre.
It sounds like Chadhel might not only be outgrowing their eldritch aesthetics but also embracing a more organic, less sterilized sound. While it may sound like I am disparaging Chadhel, I can assure you I am not. Remember, they are still fucking Chadhel and are certainly no slouches. Yet, whether it was intentional or unintentional, the studio mix and mastering did the band a disservice, in my opinion. Perhaps the engineer was trying to match the rawness of the songwriting.
I am really anxious to see where Chadhel goes from here. If they can somehow marry the natural sounding recording with their previous, more polished production levels, it will be interesting to see how their current streamlined writing process evolves; especially considering how prolific they are in the studio.
I am also interested to hear what's next from Massive Charge, because I honestly have no clue what it will sound like. The band's split with Chadhel stands out in their discography as something new and different. Past records leaned more into that heavy death-grind sound—really tight, blazing fast, razor-sharp. Those prior records sound more like Napalm Death than the Massive Charge on this split. The tracks here introduce that punk and hardcore element that made their side so entertaining.
The split is available in the States right now via Throne Of Lies Records and in Europe via Nihilocus Records and Necro Records.
FFO: Meth Leppard, Wormrot, Strong Intention
Listen to the album:
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