Insectophily

This was another random band selection that I was pleased enough to find languishing in obscurity on YouTube. Part of me feels very bad for not being able to purchase this direct from the artists, who seem to have disappeared in the twenty years since this release, but as there were no reviews on it as of yet I figured I'd give it a go and see if I liked it.

I do like it, although I have to admit that it's on the sillier end of the grindcore/brutal death spectrum for sure. This seems to be the point. From the album cover, a colorful illustration of ants attacking dinosaurs (?), to the thoroughly bizarre vocals on display, ranging from the most brutal of low-pitched squeals and squelches to the squeaky, pitched-up cartoon character voice present on "Anal Putrefaction," one of several nutty micro-songs, and the childlike singsong chanting that opens "Sodomisogyne," one of many album highlights that go by in a flash, but demand your attention.

In a general sense, this is the kind of album to enjoy as it is and not take it too seriously. It seems clear from the outset that there's a sense of humor to the music, and so when I find myself laughing at some of the presentation or certain moments in song, I have to remind myself that the laughter is part of the music doing its job.

None of this detracts from the high caliber of musicianship on display. Reminding at times of classic grindcore like Repulsion or Brutal Truth (as on both the micro-songs and more intricate numbers like the excellent, thrashing "Porno Zombie,") other times like even more ancestral thrash bands along the lines of S.O.D. or D.R.I., but of course with a deep, brutal vocal style that rarely lets up and strains the limits of intelligibility. This is all part of the excitement that comes with an album this brutal--in the very inscrutability of it is its magic. "Anal Farfadet" begins with what sounds like a gleeful squeal of joy, not unlike something King Diamond might do--before breaking into some more weighty, thudding grindcore capable of ripping your face off. I wish I had the lyrics with me, I'm sure they're as crazy as the music and presentation.

Somehow, in spite of the tin can production, there's some decent sound separation, in addition to the heightened and stylized sense of dynamic interplay this band is capable of, as on grinding pocket-symphonies like "S.N.C.B.," an initialism of which I'm not sure of the meaning. Surely it doesn't mean "Special Needs BasicCare," the first result I found on Google--but the music is so bizarre and obviously playful that it may as well stand for that.

Overall, I enjoyed this release quite a bit. This is a grindcore band that knows how to have fun, and also has a good handle on a variety of different styles, implementing sounds reminiscent of not just standard death metal and grind riffs, but also a few surprises, like a pop-punk riff on "J'me Branle" or what sounds like a parody of a shoegaze or indie rock clean riff on "Bleurk Bop." The drummer smashes his way through all the right patterns at insane speeds, with his own raw and nasty personality. Moments where the bass shines are especially enjoyable, reminding me of some of Danny Lilker's more prominent moments with Brutal Truth. This, I think, will be a treat for those who love bizarre, unhinged grindcore, and a waste of time (even at its brief length--a full-length at just under sixteen minutes?) for anyone else. Consider me in the former camp--I absolutely love the madness of this one, and in fact, I wanted more!