AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED / DESPISE YOU - On And On And...

GENRE: Grindcore
COUNTRY: USA
FORMAT: CD
LABEL: Relapse Records
YEAR: April 26th, 2011

RATING: 7/10
REVIEWED BY: PSL
PROVIDED BY: Relapse Records

To me split EP's or compilations has always been a good way of finding bands that I most likely wouldn't get to hear elsewhere. Of course I know of Agoraphobic Nosebleed, but that I can't say about Despise You.

Apparently the songs on the EP are the first that the Americans have recorded in almost 10 years. The music is a mix of no frills hardcore and grindcore. The songs are potent and it's obvious that the band knows how to avoid the music getting trivial. But when that is said there's nothing atypical about what the five-piece is doing.

Mostly the vocals are the often used shouting type of growls, but now and then some female vocals pop up. It adds a nice disparity to the music. It doesn't hurt either that there are catchy riffs and parts. Again there's nothing different about what the band is doing, but that of course means nothing as long the music rocks and it does.

I liked Agorapocalypse a lot and the songs on the EP aren't all that different. Just like Despise You Agoraphobic Nosebleed knows how to avoid the music getting too much of the same. The music is mostly in-your-face grindcore, but the Americans don't just play fast. The songs are a great mix of fast and slow.

The band blend grindcore with bits and pieces of doom, thrash metal and other genres as well. I like this as it makes the music exciting and not too banal. Of course it also profits the diversity of the songs that the band has three vocalists. It's something that gives the songs additional strength.

If you like grindcore in general or any of the two bands then you don't want to miss out on this effort. It is catchy music and about as brutal as it gets.