MAGRUDERGRIND

"Destruction of eardrums / creation of tonal sores / aural death and anti-sound / the protocols of the harshest noise / the sound of noise ascending through your skull." By god, I think we've found a set of lyrics (from "The Protocols of Anti-Sound") that encapsulates the damage that will be inflicted on listeners from time spent with MAGRUDERGRIND's self-titled sophomore album! As can be expected from virtually any Willowtip release, the music contained on said disc is quality grindcore.

Not unlike the recent output from label mates AFGRUND, MAGRUDERGRIND keeps its grindcore interesting by changing up the pace, applying a couple of coats of crust, and plunking down some well-placed samples. There is traditional grindcore aplenty, yet enough wackiness and mood shifts to make the affair a fun one; the sort of thing that has portions of the disc recalling the work of JAPANISCHE KAMPFHORSPIELE. There is even some old-school hip hop (the "beats produced by "NAPALM DEF") that kicks off "Heavier Bombing" before fading out and giving way to a blast 'n grind fusillade, and then returning to a brief loop that could have come off an early CYPRESS HILL album; and yes, the shakeup is a welcome one. It is as welcome as "Bridge Burner", a down tempo, distortion-riffed, bass buzzing groove that gets that snarl and head bob going automatically. It just sounds right.

Lyrically, the trio is not afraid to call out the army of cockroaches that march down the middle of city streets touting the virtues of the hypocritically pious and the hideously inbred. Or as MAGRUDERGRIND may describe them "A fuck-up, underachieving filth of mankind" (from "Pulverizing Hate Mongers"). Yeah, I know, militant grind; big surprise, right? Just beware of the dumb, kids. It doesn't make it any less relevant and surely not less truthful, just like the grind of the MAGRUDER clan is no less entertaining because it is not wholly original, though a variety of spices are used in the recipe. More fun than a barrel of meth-head monkeys.