The Pitch: Listenable Records unleashes the new album from grind supergroup Lock Up. Featuring Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth, Venomous Concept, Primate etc.) Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Meathook Seed, Brujeria etc.), Nick Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir etc.), and Anton Reisenegger (Pentagram, Criminal).
What I Like: You can hear the combined years of influence coming together on this project. Old Dirty Dan and I were joking about being ridiculous and telling these guys "Get with the times, grandpa...the future is now!" But s#!t man, these dudes mopped the floor with my a$$ on this record. Shane and company basically invented the genre over 3 decades ago and the man still shows no signs of slowing down. The songs have the same speed and intensity that made them relevant back in the day, but also carry the various ideas of other projects that the members are involved in. Furthermore, they're not above trying slower, Ministryish tracks like "Demonization."
What I Don't Like: I don't think I'll rock half this hard when I get to this point in my life. Hell, I don't think I do now. Excuse me while I get off your lawn, sir.
The Verdict: So many amazing moments on this album from the dirty basslines to the instant dopamine infusion of the tom fills. Like a fine wine, these guys only get better with age. The inescapable blasts, tremolos, and barks will trample you like Mufasa under a herd of wildebeasts. Take that, childhood.
Flight's Fav's: Blood and Emptiness, The Plague That Stalks The Darkness, We Challenge Death