G&P Review: Sakatat

Sakatat
Western European Tour Autumn 2010
Self Released
If Germany ever gets tired of bailing out their fellow European Union members, maybe the continental collective will finally sit down and get serious about Turkey’s desire to sign up. If nothing else, it would piss off those insolvent Greeks. As an added benefit, it would let the E.U. lay claim to Sakatat, bolstering their grindcore roster in the face of Southeast Asia’s recent ascendancy.
In good faith can I deem a four song CD-R meant to be a tour promo an essential record for the grindily minded? Yes, yes I can. Collecting tracks from their splits with Dispepsiaa and Mesrine, Sakatat just bring it hard with a palpable desperation. I’ve been saying for a couple of years now the locus of grind innovation and passion has moved from North America and Europe to developing nations where either cultural repression or economic instability have given them genuine cause for outrage and unease. Turkey may not be teetering on the edge of collapse like some, but Sakatat bring the kind of intensity that’s been lacking in bands that can kick off a tour and be pretty assured of getting a job when they roll back home to mom’s couch. These guys sound fucking serious; like grind is all they’ve got.
This is the sound of slavering madmen set loose; you can practically feel the spittle flying through the stereo. The songs burrow like boll weevils into your brain, often deploying a perfectly timed paused, letting you draw half a breath before sucker punching you in the solar plexus with their brass knuckled brand of tooth chipping grind. A lot of their songs are free for download on their website and you won’t go wrong adding them to your playlist.

[Full disclosure: the band sent me a review copy.]