By all intents and purposes, grind has long been one of the most unrelenting and unapologetically malicious brands of metal that can be found throughout the entirety of the global underground. As such, the scene is quite an impenetrable beast for many who are not able to withstand the intensity or find the excellence therein with my own experiences in the sound being similar even if the years have seen me grow more accustomed to the sound albeit very slowly. Every so often, though, a piece slips through the cracks and offers a performance that is as ferocious as it is intriguing to my ears. I never know what to expect, and that was certainly the case as I sat down to investigate the new work of madness from Walking Corpse with the end result being nothing short of a pleasant yet no less than eviscerating surprise.
Everything about the album at first glance screams that this is a grind record that certainly holds to the core concepts of the sound in virtually every form. From the names of both the band and the album to the cover art itself, Walking Corpse goes out of its way to ensure that virgin listeners know that they’re walking into a blistering storm of a record. In reality, though, few things can properly prepare you for what “Our Hands, Your Throat” has to offer unless you’re a seasoned veteran of what the world of grind has always had to offer. Eleven tracks of utter annihilation that really embody the schizophrenic aspects of the sound while never failing to throw in some moments of contrast to drive home that Walking Corpse is not a walking stereotype of formless madness that all too many bands of the sound effortlessly fall into. Filled with more than enough hooks that rip you back and forth from brief moments of a slow-paced tempo that quickly shifts back into a ferocious whirlwind that won’t cease until your flesh is peeled right off of your pathetic bones, Walking Corpse brings to the table a devilishly dynamic listen that plays on the best aspects of grind while never failing to infuse it all with loads of personality. This is a record that is a step aside from much of what the current state of grind has brought forth in my experience with Walking Corpse showing us at every turn what a true beast of an act it is with all it taking but one track of “Our Hands, Your Throat” for any single person to see why that’s the case.
This is a record designed to attack the very innocence of the world it finds itself in. Nothing is safe before the apocalyptic and somewhat dissonant rage that fills “Our Hands, Your Throat” from the very start. Walking Corpse set out on a mission to bring forth an exceptionally cerebral listen while throwing down top-tier grind. To say they accomplished any less than that would be to tempt their fury. Even if you don’t disagree, they’re sure to rip you apart longways anyway.
“Our Hands, Your Throat” releases on December 1st via Transcending Obscurity Records!
LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Our Hands, Your Throat” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Walking Corpse on Facebook here.
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