Pod vládou biče

Imagine someone explained what the fringes of arty grindcore sound like to a bunch of aliens who’d never heard it. Then these aliens learned how to play instruments and emulated a yelping human voice, then they made a record. That’s what Pod vládou biče sounds like.

These two Czechs created their own style centered around Humanoid’s unconventional riffs, often written in scales not often used in the world of metal. The riffs aren’t afraid to span the entire fretboard, unpredictably leaping from palm-muted chugging to melodic strumming and mini-leads that are massaged into the middle of regular riffs. There’s no father to Humanoid’s style.

The drumming on this record is nearly as bizarre as the guitar work. There’s plenty of blasting and double bass, but the drums are tuned and recorded so they sound like no other drum kit ever used on a metal record. The “ping” of the snare recalls the infamous St. Anger trash can lid sound, but Schizoid manages to make this sound like a deliberate stylistic decision instead of the clueless experimentation of that Metallica record. Even when Schizoid plays not-too-strange beats, this kit and recording makes them sound unconventional. I’m sure this sound will bug many listeners, but I feel it adds to the unique atmosphere.

And speaking of things that will bug some listeners, the vocals are yipped from the top of both vocalists’ head voices, recalling the higher-pitched screams of Macabre’s Corporate Death. And naturally the lyrics are all in Czech, making the songs sound even more otherworldly to English-speaking listeners. One early highlight is Humanoid’s evil laugh in the opening track “Čistka”.

This !T.O.O.H.! record is something of an acquired taste, but if you can get accustomed to the unusual sounds that stray far from the norm, there are plenty of rewards to be found here.