The Pitch: Oslo-based grindcore quartet Beaten To Death offer up a refreshingly inventive new album with a melodic twist via Mas-Kina Recordings. FFO: Burials, Fuck The Facts, Full Of Hell
What I Like: Well this is just delightful. The first few seconds of "Grind Korn" had me thinking Agronomicon would just be your typical grindcore album (don't get me wrong there's still plenty of that), but then the melodic elements kick in. It's such an interesting and specific dichotomy of utterly destructive deathgrind and strangely uplifting guitars that defies accurate description. The vocals are intensely brutal, rivaling the heaviest moments of Full Of Hell, and the bass tone is positively filthy. When paired with the Earth-rending blastbeats, you'd best stay FAR away from the pits when Beaten To Death come to your local venue. Yet, as stated, this vicious onslaught is offset perfectly by eruptions of math rock/post-hardcore inspired riffs that would typically be more at home on a Touche Amore record. And may I say the groove on standout track "Bjørnstjerne Ibsen" is insanely infectious. It's the type of experimental edge I tend to associate with the Japanese extreme music scene more so than Scandinavia.
Critiques: The fusion works better in some places than others, but even so there aren't any moments that turn me off completely. And honestly, the album length is such that it doesn't start to feel gimmicky.
The Verdict: At a tight 22 minutes, there's no reason to not give Agronomicon a spin. It's technically proficient, consistently entertaining, and all of this while delivering a combination of sounds you're not like to hear elsewhere. Beaten to Death are a band on the rise, and I applaud their ability to experiment while still crafting a highly relistenable experience.
Flight's Fav's: Dere Er Herved Oppløst, Bjørnstjerne Ibsen, Gå, Snuble, Bli Liggende
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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