G&P Review: Gods of Chaos

Gods of Chaos
March into Perdition
The Path Less Traveled
So here's the deal: naming your band Gods of Chaos is a ballsy move. You're not advertising just human levels of chaos. No, no, my friend, promises of a divine chaos nature were made. Unfortunately, this Croatian band just don't deliver on debut album March into Perdition, a blend of grindcore speed and black metal ambiance that never rises above pedestrian over the course of 33 minutes.
Full Metal Attorney likened the band to Krallice, and I'll take his word for it because he's a smart guy. However, even though Colin Marston produced March into Perdition, none of his song craft rubbed off on Gods of Chaos. They have the blasting down A-OK. The problem is they leave no impression once they're done. The the closest they come to the promised chaos is the meandering drumming and droning guitars of "Crystallized Telekinetic Mindfuck," which was already done much better by Anodyne and makes me wish I was listening to The Outer Dark instead.
The remainder of March into Perdition is trebly guitar licks lacerating grindcore tempos, but after the spastic and enjoyable opener "Twitching Sours," Gods of Chaos just didn't evolve beyond that initial cross genre fusion. Every song seemed to fall into the same template laid out by "Twitching Sours," frigid buzzsawing, some stop/start action and back of the throat howling over top. When Gods of Chaos to mix up the playbook somewhat as on the plodding "Dealers of Nadir" or rock swinging "Skullfucking Despair" they drag it out until they've burned away the novelty.
Gods of Chaos have the knack for blending black metal and grind down. What they need to do now is widen their sonic palette and create songs that leave more of an impression. And drastically up the chaos quotient.

[Full disclosure: TPLT sent me a download.]

Blast(beat) from the Past: Bolesno Grinje

Bolesno Grinje
Od Nesvijesti Do Grinda
Cryptas/Endless Brutality of Men
2003
Translation is never an exact science. For instance, Metal Archives tells me this Croatian band’s name roughly translates to “Sick Mites” in English. After several years of intensive study and consultation with the foremost experts in the field, I’ve determined a more accurate translation would “Scrotum Snapping Terrorizer-core of the Highest Order.” Or something to that effect.
If they bring a mite (ha!) more hardcore to the proceedings than the Terrorized ones, that just adds piquancy and shields Bolesno Grinje from the charge of being clones. The Max Cavalera roaring also separates the Croatians form the grinding hordes as well.
Though the blasts may not be as fast as some of their European contemporaries, but Bolesno Grinje can rock it with the lightning strike guitars of “Proljev,” the counter-clockwise pit-winder of “Uvijek Ista Prica” or the rasping metal-file-on-bone bass tone of the gruesome “Error.” For those who like a little booty shakin’ with the blastin’, there’s the grind’n’roll shuffle of the wolf-howled “Jebenise.” Front and center to it all, though, is the trepanning with a d-beat drill bit “Jedan Dan.”

Bolesno Grinje – “Jedan Dan”

I may not have a damn clue what Bolesno Grinje are talking about, but their music speaks my language. Grindcore: the Esperanto of the metal world.

G&P Review: Avicularia

Avicularia
Born to be Vile
Croatia Records
The great philosopher Marx – either Karl or Groucho, take your pick – once opined that “history repeats itself, first as tragedy then as farce.”
Case in point, back when I was in college a decade ago we were plagued by obnoxious Phish heads who thought they were the reincarnation of the ’60s. As though the decade that gave us the self absorbed shit stains we call the Baby Boomers needed to be revisited. Remember Woodstock 2 and 3? (MTV probably would appreciate it if you didn’t.)
Cheap nostalgia wasn’t the curse of my generation solely. Currently, my wife’s cousin attends the same college I did and she’s walking around dressed like an extra from a John Hughes film with nary a trace of irony as only someone who didn’t actually live through the ’80s could do.
Croatian spider obsessives Avicularia have a serious jones for the ’90s, particularly when death metal face planted into tech. Their sound splits the difference between mid-era Dying Fetus and pre-suckage Cryptopsy (None Born to be More Vile?), pile driving their crunchy death metal peanut butter into the rich, creamy chocolate of technique with some mixed results. You already know what most of Born to be Vile sounds like before note one, horrific typewriter drumming and all.
If Avicularia could keep their eyes front and center, though, they may actually be on to something. A late bloomer of an album, Avicularia chase an intro and five serviceable but unspectacular songs of Nile bombast with two closing mindfucks of vision and accomplishment. The aptly titled “Spiraling Doom” swirls through lightly plucked passages of odd time signatures, creeping arachnid melodies and crashing Neurosis peaks and valleys. Kiss off song “Requiem for Ego” is even more transcendent, one of the best and most engaging death metal songs I’ve heard this year with its piercing, affecting lead guitars, crabbed rhythms and restrained, pounding drumming. Its strength lies in its cleaner, moody bridge that manages to sound both spontaneous and ethereal as it gives way to a vibrant cello conclusion.
There’s no doubt Avicularia is full of talented musicians who can bring a crushing death metal tune. All they need to do now is pull themselves out of the ’90s and start looking forward. The pieces are there and just need the proper alignment.

[Full disclosure: Avicularia kindly sent me a copy of their album.]