The Apparatus

 Tuesday, 11 December 2007 Pig Destroyer hold a special place in my heart, not only have they been creating dissonant, abrasive grindcore for around 10 years but they manage to stay fresh and never repeat themselves or subject themselves to a formula, which is a rarity these days. Phantom Limb proves that they are on top of their game and instead of putting out releases that are increasingly worse like most artists, Pig Destroyer just get better. J.R. Hayes' vocals are still raw and his lyrics are still intelligent and, the best way I've read them described, "uncomfortably personal" and that is without a doubt the best way to describe them. With lyrics dealing with insanity, dabbling in nihilism and there's even a a song about a pair of homicidal sisters, it's like reading some twisted book by a combination of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein. Hayes' lyrics do not hold back, their anger and intensity permeate inside you until you can almost feel his pain.

Scott Hull is still the master of the riff, showcasing his skills admirably on Phantom Limb. Each new album Pig Destroyer create, I am always surprised that Hull never ceases to create such varied guitar riffs that are easily recognizable as Pig Destroyer riffs, yet manage to be completely new. Each song is noticeably different in structure with some riffs being unrelenting and fast such as on "Through Crime Spree", some being more sludge infused, slower riffs and some even have a taste of death metal ("Heathen Temple"). And don't forget about about Mr.Harvey, he still punishes his drum set to an almost inhumane degree. He manages to play fast, cranking out blast beats like it's his job while still being creative and not leaving any piece on the set untouched. I'm sure his mother is proud (they practice in her basement). Finally, there's Blake Harrison in the background, whose use of electronics on the album certainly give the album an extra edge, and his contribution with the bass guitar is certainly a welcome addition.

Now, if you were worrying about Pig Destroyer maybe going soft or selling out like is so common in any scene today, don't you worry. Their latest release is a fucking monster and it will grab your unsuspecting little head and turn it on end. With each new release Pig Destroyer seem to get bigger, angrier and arguably better and better. The way they're going there is nothing and nobody dumb enough to stop them as they ravage the ears of their unsuspecting listeners.

 Thursday, 29 November 2007 Not many people like this CD. I've heard "it's not as brutal as Rosey Red Glasses" and other such half-assed excuses. Brutal? Fine, maybe it's not, but is it progressive, passionate and, for lack of a better word, beautiful? Definitely. It enfuses the chaotic sound and angst filled vocals of grindcore with the forward-thinking mentality of a technical or progressive metal release and the outcome is incredible. Every member in this band seems to have poured their heart and soul into their music. The guitarists are inventive, skilled and spastic. Even the slower instrumental passages in songs such as "Texas Dolly" or "Like A Cat" never sound out of place which is something I myself enjoy, very much so.The same goes for the bassist, though it may not be as prominent it adds an extra layer that heightens and enhances the albums sound. The drums never stop, the man floats around his set never once running out of ideas or repeating any beat or fill. Having two vocalists may seem like something just for show, just a little gimmick, but they harmonize so well with their high pitched screams and even with their clean singing they compliment each other well. Their lyrics are cryptic and intelligent, never corny which is hard to come by nowadays when usually all you hear about are odes to cannibalism and misogyny sung in unintelligible "brees". But thats an argument for another time. The only complaints I could wrangle up would be that Tracks 4 and 11 don't add much in terms of atmosphere and seem unnecessary and some of the clean vocals are sung ridiculously inharmoniously but even with that against it, its still a great album. Whatever I write wont prepare you for this gorgeous audio assault. So stop reading and go give it a listen. You wont regret it.

 Thursday, 29 November 2007 Remember when Ed Gein used to be good? I sure as hell do and this CD is, in my humble opinion, their best work. For grindcore, it's pretty original. Put on a song from this album and you know it's the Gein, no question. They have this certain angst to their sound. And not the "freshman in high school no one likes me so I'm going to start listening to screamo and cutting myself" kind of angsty, but an entirely different kind, a kind that's not annoying to listen to. They may have their elitist views, showcased in songs such as "the Marlboro Man is a Douchebag", but I look past it and I have to hand it to them, the album is pretty sick. Skewed chords and ridiculous foot work are cearly present as well as the bands trademark, all three members scream so you have three distinct voices so they don't become too repetitive. .

And seriously. I liked Donnie Darko as much as the next teenager who wants to show-off to everyone that they have a brain though they don't actually understand the movie but how many quotes can you fit into this album. I mean really. After seven songs of the usual Ed Gein chaos there's the monstrosity of a track aptly named "What is this monstrosity?" Two minutes of music and eight minutes of nothing and a Nirvana cover tacked on to the end. Brutal.

 Thursday, 29 November 2007 If I were to describe this album in one word it would be "apocalyptic". To me, this album sounds like what the aftermath of a nuclear war would. People screaming, prophets preaching, and noise infinitely present. Yet among all that, there is something beautiful amongst the utter chaos and confusion. It's the perfect soundtrack for the end. Imagine listening to "Kill the Switch" while being surrounded by the remains of building and monuments, the concrete streets stained with blood and you'll see what I mean. And as nihilistic and depressing and aggressive as this album may sound, it never loses its innocent and hopeful outlook. It's like waking up in the first 15 minutes of 28 Days Later. Pretty nice compliment if you ask me.

Now, you might be saying "Well, is it any good or what?". The answer is yes. This is an album I would definitely recommend to anyone with half a brain. During the course of the album you'll hear intelligent, poetic lyrics being screamed, yelled, whispered, sung, and just spoken by both male and female voices. The vocals are very genuine, not just some voice any jackass can do. They don't sound artificial which is a definite plus. The lyrics are usually an after thought to many music aficionados, unless you're looking for a brutal away message or whatnot. CTTS's lyrics are worth a look, sadly, something that few bands can claim. It's like reading an ancient book from some small, long forgotten empire; they are highly metaphorical, very well written and refreshingly original.

"What about the music?"

Circle Takes the Square play music the likes of which I've never heard before. It's very difficult to describe but if you put a gun to my head I would have to say it's a melodic hardcore fusion with a major experimental influence. Imagine what it would sound like if Converge, Red Sparowes and Godspeed You! Black Emperor had a one night stand. This is what you would get. Ninety percent of this CD is awesome aggressively melodic gold. But among all that musical gold there's some shit. I don't mean that offensively of course, it's just that occasionally you can't tell what the fuck the guitars are playing and it just sounds like noise. This isn't all bad, it serves as a bridge between the incredible parts of the album and helps with the whole apocalyptic aesthetic. The music goes from fast, hard chords to slower melodies and back many times over the course of the 44 minutes the album lasts. These transitions never sound out of place, they are always natural and never unfocused, making you feel like your under fucking attack and it's a completely and totally incredible experience. You always hear something new, your ears are never accustomed to any sort of formula because there is none, and therefore you're never bored. There are so many emotions and powerful statements and intensely relentless music flying at you there's no time to be bored.

I want to give this album a five even though it is nowhere near perfect but I'm sure that by the time CTTS's next release rolls around this album will sound like the soundtrack of Driving Miss Daisy in comparison.

 Wednesday, 28 November 2007 With a genre such as grindcore it's difficult to create something that hasn't been done before, to create something different but is still genuinely fast, angry, brutal grindcore. Swarrrm are one of these bands who succeed. This album is different. Well, them being a Japanese band is already and indicator that you're going to be in for something new.

First of all, the vocals are highly impressive. The high pitched screams may not be anything new but this guy sounds so fucking strained especially on tracks "Defiant Attitude" and "Pain". Especially in the latter. He screams and screams and sounds so out of breath by the end of it, yet he keeps on going, which I find highly admirable. Even if it sounds like complete nonsense it's very clear this man is not comfortable screaming like that, a true sign of passion for his music. As for the guitars, they are furiously fast on most of the album, but on a few tracks, such as "Pain", they are given a bluesy sound which is something I've never heard on a grindcore album and you know what? It works. It's still sounds as chaotic and dissonant as the rest of the album. The bassist manages to keep up with the guitars with ease and still contributes it's own sound on the album. The drums are typically fast and aggressive, as to be expected on any grind album, but the drummer manages to switch things up by changing from punk beat to blast beat to snare roll to drum fill in a matter of seconds so it never sounds repetitive or boring.

This album is a highly impressive achievement. It's great to hear dirty, muddy grind that sticks to it's roots AND manages to spread it's wings a bit to create a new sound within a relatively narrow genre. Swarrrm creates a new form a grindcore that's both melodic and crushingly fast that is quite a treat. I was pleasantly surprised when I first heard this record, always a good sign.