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ANTIGAMA :
DISCOMFORT

Grindcore... Death-Metal's ugly cousin... is it just noise, or is it a thinking man's noise? In my opinion, it's the later, or it can be when done correctly. In my opinion, a lot of Grind as of late has sucked the proverbial "big-one". Bands only seem interested in seeing who can play faster, and that's about it. Well, discs like that are fun for about 2 songs, then I hit "eject", because if that's all you have to offer, I get bored of it rather quickly. It's most likely due to my advancing years, buy whenever I hear a new Grind band, I automatically compare them to the recognized godfathers of the scene, namely "Napalm Death", who I will always consider to be the benchmark band when it comes to this stuff. I'm sure you can find a faster band within the sub-genre, but I doubt you can find a better one. This all brings us to the sophomore release from Poland's "Antigama", entitled "Discomfort", and I am pleased to say, that they have helped to restore my waning faith in this area of extreme Metal. They have been graded and measured against the sonic output of their mentors and forefathers, and have come out favourably. First off, Discomfort first hit the streets last year on "Extremist Records", this is actually a re-release on "Selfmadegod Records", and features a bonus audio track ("Fala" - The Seed remix), and some visual entertainment for your PC. Now, Antigama can play fast, insanely fast, but (and this is a big "but") they know when to throw in the occasional slower tempo. It doesn't last long, and with songs that are under 2 minutes in length how could it, but these minor instances of tempo change help break up the monotony that other bands fall prey to. Plus, it helps the band's sound by adding elements of groove, the sort of heavy-ass groove that makes you wanna nod your head in silent metallic approval, and turn the volume up another notch, even if that means surpassing your pain threshold. These guys are super-tight! The songs range from pretty straightforward Grind, to experimental noise, and they go by so fast, you barely have time to process what you just heard! This some seriously intense shit... for the record, the track that really knocked me on my ass was "Who Is My Enemy?"... pure Grinding greatness!
RATING = 8 Grindcore (Released 2005)

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ANTIGAMA :
ZEROLAND

Well, the Polish noisemakers known as Antigama are back with their third full-length. Well, that's if you personally consider a 24-minute disc a "full-length". I thought that was a bit of a rip-off at first, but after spinning the disc, I'm not sure too many people could handle much more than that, so in retrospect, I think 24 is just fine. I was impressed with last year's re-release of "Discomfort" (see above), and I'm equally enthralled with this little number. It is, to put it bluntly, pulverizing. The commonly used Grind blueprint is enhanced upon here with small snippets of Industrialized sounding noise, and some truly f'd-up otherworldly harmonics that don't seem like they should have (or could have) been produced by the likes of man. That noise element, added to the usual arsenal of blast-beats, and frantic guitar work, gives the band their own identifiable sound. As for the vox, well I have to mention something that's in the promo material for this disc, in the description of the album, it is said to include "gorgeous vocals and shrieks". Gorgeous???!!! Um, I'd accept effective, insane, traumatic, over-the-top, powerful, nerve-racking, etc. but gorgeous? No. Anyway, these guys manage once again to offer up a platter that's just a little bit different than your average Grind affair, and in a genre with such narrow operating parameters, that's always a welcomed thing. Only the very brave, or the very foolish can endure a sonic assault such as this, but if Grind is your god, then this should be a no-brainer add to your wish list. Plus, it's on Selfmadegod Records, which is already pretty much a stamp of approval in Grind circles. For more info, you can find the band on line right here.
RATING = 8 Grindcore (Released 2005)

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