Human Shredder

Goregrind is more appetizer than main course: best when paired with something else. The lymphatic overtones of its flavor are especially suited to adding zest to the mildewy meat that is death metal. Exhumed and Impaled are two of the better known chefs to favor this pairing. Across the sea, there are the likes of Haemorrhage, Regurgitate and General Surgery. To this list we can add Hydrophobia. This Japanese trio dons their blood-spattered toques blanches and cook up a mean recipe that doesn't skimp on the grind, then they add in a dash of brutal DM to make a meal to delight the most discriminating of anthropophagic gourmands.

Looking at the CD of Human Shredder makes the goregrind influence apparent without having to hear a note. I'm not sure what that's a picture of on the cover, but it looks repulsive. Behind the lyrics are printed some nasty medical photographs (and the cover of The Dead Shall Dead Remain for some reason). Hydrophobia doesn't just plumb the subgenre for imagery. Grindcore's grue-obsessed stepchild makes its mark on their music, manifesting in many short (~1 minute) songs, songwriting of a straightforward and hurtling nature, and a lack of solos—there's not one on the album—nor is much emphasis put on lead work. The riffs are real, though. Rin smashes them out with unconscionable hostility, putting emphasis on pounding and propulsive rhythms. He makes frequent use of eerie trills, and that's not the only connection to old school DM. There's a number of menacing doom riffs. “Accumulated Hatred” is the most obvious example, moving at a torturous crawl like a serial killer victim's final attempt at escape before bleeding out, but “Brutal! Dead! Grind!” is the standout, halting in the middle for the bass to play some depressing notes à la “In the Grip of Winter” leading to some riffs which are fittingly pure Autopsy.

Rin's playing is all the more impressive when taking into account he used a four-string guitar. His fellow quadruple-stringed instrumentalist, Takuya, contributes jackhammer basslines. Backing them up is Tetsu-rrow who drums at furious speed while avoiding the cliché of “nothing but blasts”. Rapid double-kick is a cornerstone element, but is only turned up to a supersonic blur in “Accumulated Hatred” after minutes of Cianide-paced riffage. The production of the drums brings one of the touches of brutal DM: a trashcan snare. Normally I'm opposed to this sound, but here, perhaps because of the quality of the rest of the music, it strikes me as more unique than annoying, though part of me wants to hear a version with a more natural timbre. The rest of the production doesn't elicit such thoughts. A concussive bass tone aids Takuya in his attack while Rin takes full advantage of a guitar tonality that comes courtesy of the Stihl company.

In addition to the snare tone, BDM influence is present in a number of hulking grooves. Both Rin and Takuya perform vocals, though not in the high shrieks plus pitch-shifted gurgles of goregrind, nor the gutturals of BDM, though the animalistic grunts resemble both subgenres more than those of traditional death metal. No, you can't understand any of the lyrics, but there's a sense that on occasion there's an attempt to pronounce words. Human Shredder has some flaws. “Premeditated... and Impulsive...” which consists of atmospheric noises (the sound of a drill, muffled talking and other stuff) is overly long for an intro. Closer “Hard Fought Field” starts strong but its abrupt end makes for an anticlimactic finale. Not every song is memorable, but considering how hard they get blood pumping while listening, it's hard to find fault with that.

Despite forming well over twenty years ago, Hydrophobia have not been prolific, this being their only full length. They're still active so there's a chance this isn't the last recording we'll get. The prospect of a new album makes the mouth water. Human Shredder is a delectable dish made with ingredients sourced from metal's fetid swamplands. This delicate and suppurating combination of flavors should have wide appeal within the narrow demographic of gore metal connoisseurs. Bon appétit.