FIST A FERRET / SLAVES TO THE GRIND - Split CD

GENRE: Grindcore
COUNTRY: Austria / Sweden
FORMAT: CD
LABEL: Simmering Noise Productions
YEAR: 2009

RATING: 6/10
REVIEWED BY: PSL
PROVIDED BY: Fist A Ferret

Fist A Ferret is an Austrian trio. The band plays grindcore with strong inputs from punk and hardcore. To me it's somewhat difficult to form an opinion on five minutes of music alone. The inspiration may be of a more punk and hardcore type than I'm used to, but I think the music is okay. The punk and hardcore inputs are really obvious on "Warhead".

I like that the bass get some room in most of the songs and that the band mix low end growls with a more hardcore type of vocal. It's nice that the trio try different things to vary the music and not just go for the common approach.

Slaves To The Grind is from Sweden. Like Fist A Ferret the four-piece plays grindcore with a punk rock vibe, but the music is a lot closer to conventional grindcore than what the Austrians are doing. Again it's difficult to form an opinion with just a little more than four minutes of music.

I like the five songs, but it's not like the Swedes vary the music all that much. They do change things around a bit, but mostly the four-piece just plays fast. However there are some good riffs and parts that create some needed variation.

There's not a whole lot of value here if you just look at the length of the CD, but if you like some really underground music then this split CD is not a bad deal.