Some of you may have jumped the gun on voting, but that just shows you’re eager to get with it, which is a good thing. I happen to know that one of the more prominent musicians featured here happens to be lurking and enjoying the conversations (include your guess as to who in the comments for bonus awesome points), so bring your A game as things start getting serious. Here’s your next round of matchups. Have at it. You’ve got until Saturday.
North America
Pig Destroyer (1) v. Brutal Truth (4)
From a pure songwriting perspective, these two bands pretty much embody the pinnacle of contemporary grind songsmithery. But who does it better? Do you give the nod to Pig Destroyer’s acid art nightmares or Brutal Truth’s resurrection of one of the strongest legacies in grind (keeping in mind we’re only talking the current incarnation here).
Asia and Australia
Wormrot (1) v. The Kill (5)
Two explosive, violent bands with their sound set to (*ahem*) kill that both exploded out of the East. I had to build a special brace to hold up my jaw last year after Wormrot dropped it to the floor. Can The Kill’s likewise likeminded assault stave off Singapore’s finest?
Scandinavia
Rotten Sound (1) v. Gadget (4)
I have no clue who will win this matchup, but I do know the winner will be a master blaster. Both Rotten Sound and Gadget have a need for speed (though Gadget are also that exceptional grind band that can also master down tempo dirges). I’m pretty sure William Blackmun is at least partially robot. And Rotten Sound seem to be genetically engineering inhuman drummers on a secret farm somewhere in Lapland.
Continental Europe and the United Kingdom
Napalm Death (1) v. Attack of the Mad Axeman (6)
Napalm Death’s post-Earache era has been a revelation and reinvigoration of the band’s sound and legacy, reaching backwards to embrace many of the aspects that made the earlier incarnations legendary progenitors of grind while keeping them forward looking and modern. Will that revitalization stand up against a bunch of Germans in fuzzy animal costumes who grind like motherfuckers?
24 comments:
North America - Brutal Truth
Pig Destroyer rule, but not only do Brutal Truth have a legacy issue, they also have a killer 2009 release.
Asia and Australia - Wormrot
Wormrot have everything going for them, their split with I abhor showed they have upped their game (yes I am shocked too) and so far there is no stopping them.
Scandinavia - Rotten Sound
Although I am yet to meet a band that sound like Gadget, Rotten Sound do a perfect attempt at Grindcore on the whole and pull it off well.
Continental Europe - Napalm Death
Although they have some bad stuff out their and some mediocre, their constant evolving and ingenuity is a great plus for them.
Brutal Truth for being consistently good. If were talking the best then it needs to be consistsant not just really good. Do you keep going to a restaurant that only makes the food well two or three of five times?
I really love the descriptions I hear of the Kill, I'm just unfamiliar with them. And Wormrot fucking melts my face. DON'T TAZE ME!
Rotten Sound. Brutal. Scandi. Grind.
Attack of the Mad Axemen. They're so much more unique now. ND is the better band but these guys are fun.
On an unrelated note I listened to FETO on45 yesterday and it was like listening tk DxAx. Coincidence?
North America- Pig Destroyer. In my opinion, they've never released a bad record (some are better than others, however.) On the other hand, 'Sounds of the Animal Kingdom' is damn near unlistenable to me because of the mix, and 'Evolution Through Revolution' is just too wanky guitar-wise to keep my attention for very long.
Asia and Australia- FUCK. This is such a hard decision. I'm going to have to go with Wormrot just because they've so goddamn exciting right now, even though I LOVE the Kill and they're by far my favorite Australian band.
Scandi- Gadget. I love their sci-fi style, and their riffs kill. Also, they've got both fewer and more interesting releases than Rotten Sound.
Continental Europe and UK- Attack of the Mad Axeman. I listen to 'Scumdogs of the Forest' SOOO much more than post-Dorrian Napalm Death.
Brutal Truth by a whisker. Unlike every band in these brackets (w/ the exception of Napalm Death) they've been the ones who've consistently taken it to the streets, touring to every corner of the world and putting grindcore in front of people. I enjoy PD more, but BT live it, and for that they get the nod here.
Wormrot.
Rotten Sound by a whisker applying the same criteria as BT vs PD. Gadget is a better band though.
Napalm Death. If there is justice they'll win the whole fucking thing.
Pig Destroyer, by a touch, I like all there work and Prowler In The Yard when I first heard it blew my away more then any BT record has.
The Kill, maybe because I have a soft spot for them for being local or maybe because there latest live to air cd rips the shit out of anything wormrot has done (yet).
Rotten Sound, I really like Gadget but Rotten Sound is a classic where as Gadget will need to bring out a few more releases before they reach that status.
Attack Of The Mad Axeman, Napalm Death have released a lot of boring stuff in the new era. Attack Of The Mad Axeman don't take themselves to seriously which I like.
No idea which band would be lurking?
Brutal Truth. I'm with Shane on this. BT have the better track record, consistency-wise. Plus, come on, fucking Rich Hoak.
The Kill. I know how everyone here feels about the Worm and as much as I get down to Abuse, I enjoy The Kill's latest (live!) album more. Can't get enough of those thrashtastic DA-licking blasts of noise.
Gadget. Rotten Sound are just too polished for my taste in grind. Gadget bring the filth along with the fast.
Attack of the Mad Axeman. Call me an asshole but when it comes to ND, but I almost never listen to anything past '89 from their catalog. AotMA on the other hand are progessively getting better with each release, though I'm having a hard time forgiving them for bumping Suffering Mind out of their deserved spot.
Bonus Awesome Points: Blood I Bleed, with Wormrot (and maybe Suffering Mind) also in on the laughs.
na: if we only go on "current incarnation" then i choose pig destroyer - but (and it must be just me) i currently do not enjoy either band...
a&a: wormrot. they grind harder, groove better and take less prisoners.
scand: rotten sound. i love gadget but 'remote' never sat well with me whereas rs have never let me down.
ce/uk: attack of the mad axeman. the last n.d. album i liked (fear, emptiness, despair) came out a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
North America - Brutal Truth's drummer sucks so bad these days, but I never really liked pig Destroyer. BT all the way.
Asia and Australia - The Kill rules so hard. Wormrot is nothing special to my ears.
Scandinavia - Tough one since I don't really like the recent output of either band. I guess Rotten Sound.
Continental Europe and the United Kingdom - Napalm Death still rules.
Mannnn, this is getting tougher!
N.A. - Brutal Truth!
Pig Destroyer are one of my faves, and one of the first grind bands I really latched on to. However, BT are just too weird and too ferocious to be fucked with. The new record was tits, and the tracks they did for This Comp are, uh, truly brutal.
A and A: Wormrot.
I have checked out the Kill now, and their recent live-to-air album is on its way to my doorstep. However, I am still too firmly on the Wormrot bandwagon. Bouncy ridiculously awesome, etc etc etc
Scandi: Rotten Sound.
Gadget are a bit sterile for me. Not just in production, I think. Something about them prevents them from standing out firmly in my mind.
Rotten Sound could use a little of the grit of old these days, as well, but they just outclass Gadget hands down.
Europe: Napalm Death.
Most people probably thought the rule about not judging a band based on their legacy would hurt ND. Consider that this also means we can ignore the bulk of their 90s output and focus on their return to grinding. Attack of the Mad Axemen bring the pain, fo sho, but the nod goes to ND.
NA- Pig Destroyer
If anyone saw Repulsion's come back show where Pig Destroyer and Brutal Truth played, they'd understand how easy a choice this is. The old guys just made a bunch of noise, Scott Hull and Co. had the crowd in their graps and played every song flawlessly. Yes PxDx's lost a big since Prowler, but Brutal Truth's lost it all since the 90's.
Asia- I've never heard The Kill, so nothing here on my part.
Scabdinavia-Gadget
I really like what I've heard from Gadget, but i wonder if it's too little to put my weight behind. That said, Rotten Sound's gotten very boring after Exit, and their vocalist is a master of monotone; move over Rotten Sound.
Europe: Napalm Death
There was never a chance for AMAM
North America - Brutal Truth. Not a weak link in any of their releases. Plus Rich Hoak can be Henry Winkler's twin brother.
Asia and Australia - Wormrot. As devastating as Abuse is, their recent split shows even more promise.
Scandinavia - Rotten Sound. I like em. I like em a lot.
Continental Europe - As much as I love them fuzzy loveable maniacs (no..not Shane, Attack Of The Mad Axeman silly), Napalm Death will always have a special place in my grinding heart. Maybe I'm biased but oh fucking well.
Kinda late in the game but:
North America - Pig Destroyer
Scoll Hull is a grindcore god.
Asia and Australia - Wormrot
Wormrot is just so goddamn gritty and amazing.
Scandinavia - Rotten Sound
Rotten Sound has simply had better drummers than Gadget to me.
Continental Europe and the U.K. - Napalm Death
It may be the standard choice, but I still think their albums are more memorable than AOTMA.
North America: Brutal Truth, they are much more grind in my ears and eyes. PD might be really catchy sometimes but it takes more than that. BD was also one of the first grindcore bands i saw in stockholm.. damn, that was awesome.
Asia and Australia: Wormrot,
I feel that I should just say The Kill because Wormrot get so "hyped" but.. no, I cannot.
Scandinavia: Rotten Sound,
Now that I have voted for Rotten Sound twice they better come out with a murderwork-style album soon..
Continental Europe and the United Kingdom: Napalm Death,
I like the just-for-fun attitude of the mad axemen but napalm encapsulates what grind is to me: great lyrics, furious music and down to earth, friendly, people standing behind every single word they say.
/gk
NA : Brutal Truth
A/A : The Kill
Scand : Rotten Sound
Eur : ND
N.A. - I give this one to Pig Destroyer. I've listened to BT a few times, but I've never latched on to any of their records like I did with Prowler in the Yard.
A&A - No vote.
Scandinavia - This is the hardest call for me to make in the tournament thus far. I am a big fan both of these bands but I think I have to go with Rotten Sound as they have more releases that I enjoy. I love Gadget's The Funeral March record, but Remote never did much for me. On the RS front, Cycles, Exit, Consume to Contaminate and Murderworks are all awesome.
E&UK - I haven't listened to Mad Axe Men, so I guess ND wins by default. But I have feeling that even I had ever listened to Mad Axe Men, ND would still crush them.
'Merica - I love both, but it goes to Pig Destoyer
Asia - Wormrot!
Scandigrindia - Rotten Sound
Europe - Napalm. I really enjoyed the last album.
1) pig destroyer..pig destroyer never lets me down. i love them all around. brutal truth is awesome, but love them mainly for the guitar.
2)wormrot
3)Rotten sound..dont really care for gadget.
4)napalm death...axe men are awesome, but napalm death have many dimensions.
http://lambgoat.com/news/view.aspx?id=15377
Sorry Broheims.
Re: Hoak's Drumming - I had a friend compare his style to someone who was whisking an egg. But hey..the Fonz is still cool.
So sometimes instead of that plastic you have to peel off in order to open a CD, Relapse uses a paper insert with adds on it. Phobia - Unrelenting came in the mail today, and what do I see on that insert:
"America's consistently finest grindcore practitioners for the better part of 15 years" - grindandpunishment.blogspot.com
holy shit! seriously?
oddly they didn't seem to pick up on what i had to say about 22 random acts of violence and cruel. ha.
Haha, congrats, dude. You're quickly becoming the gold-standard authority on grindcore to the larger extreme music establishment.
North America- Pig Destroyer. Without a doubt- they are consistently great.
Asia/Australia- Wormrot. I'm really digging their style right now.
Scandinavia- Gadget- They just seem more relevant now.
Europe and UK- Attack of the Mad Axeman- Although Napalm Death is very influential, I have to go with Attack of the Mad Axeman.
check out some insane noise
http://rezeegtnuk.blogspot.com/
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