Extreme Noise Terror

And Extreme Noise Terror (ENT from here on) plowed on, belligerent and abrasive as in most of their career. After the untimely passing of Phil Vane, I was curious with who they would fill the void he left behind, and the choice fell on Ben McCrow, most commonly known as vocalist for Gorerotted, and it must be said that he turns in a fitting performance here. The man complements Dean Jones's gruff-throated approach like a charm, and it's a good fit on an album that signals a return to ENT's heyday soundwise, without any frills or weird turns whatsoever.

As mentioned, the approach here is a return to form, a look back at their first releases. What we get here is a collection of blistering hardcore tracks that primarily bring to mind the Swedish, US and Japanese bands of old, like Anti-Cimex, S.O.B., Asocial, Septic Death, Crude SS, Asbestos, Crucifix, and more of their ilk. The short bursts of rage primarily come at you at high velocity, alleviated by some stomping midtempo parts thrown in, with the scathing riffing and volatile percussive assault creating the perfect background for the dual vocal attack the band are known for. Dean Jones provides his usual and immediately recognizable guttural bark, which is complemented exquisitely by McCrow's hoarse almost-grunt alternating with fierce screams. The whole package simply oozes intensity and aggression, while sounding about as subtle as a dynamite abortion. The production keeps it all basic and raw, with the vocals drawing most of the attention, backed by the manic riffing and a frenetic percussive performance with heavy emphasis on the snare. It may not be the most sophisticated of production values, but it is more than fitting on an album by ENT, for sure.

It may take a few spins before one will discern the individual tracks present on here, with the exception perhaps being the insane blastbeat carnage of "Only in It for the Music Pt. 27 (Black Putrefaction)", that remarkably differs from the rest of the album. All of the tracks exhibit the same demented energy and relentless aggression, which may make it somewhat blurry at first, but that's what I want from ENT. No frills, no niceties and no bullshit, and if you have a problem with that, I suggest two options. You can listen to it 'till the quarter drops, or else you can download the new Mumford & Sons album. Simple as that.

All into crust, grind and primitive death metal, take heed! With this album, ENT let the world know that they are back in style, and everyone into extreme music devoid of unnecessary frills and other superfluous niceties should take notice.