Album Review: Magrudergrind – II (Relapse Records)

Magrudergrind are an American extreme metal band normally categorised as a grindcore outfit & II is their 6th full length release.

Most songs across the 15 track album come in at less than 2 minutes; this is a fast-paced punch to the face. Wall to wall extreme brutality, an assault on the senses & something that will at least pique your interest even if it doesn’t hold it for as long as it should.

The problem lies in just how much of the album just sounds the same, on first listen I wasn’t paying attention to track numbers & was genuinely surprised when I saw I was up to track seven, I thought it was the same song.

It’s very hard to get excited about the next track as the screech of guitars signals the end of the last. I adore extreme music, I love my metal heavy as fuck but I also enjoy song structure & a semblance of melody. Not just wall to wall noise with vocals that scream nonsensically over most of the music.

The best moments come when the vocalist shuts up & lets the music do the talking instead. The beat throughout Sacrificial Hire is catchy but remains incredibly heavy & then the vocals kick in & it’s just the same stuff we’ve heard before.

Over half way through the album & boredom is setting in; it’s just so un-inspired. The longest track on the album, Black Banner (3:25) is also one of the strongest slowing the pace down to showcase a head-banging drumbeat & get combo guitar work. Even vocals lose the urgency that the rest of the album has making more a more enjoyable listen.

The album has a reoccurring theme where things start of at a slower pace sans vocals before erupting into an orgy of intensity & aggression. It’s fine once or twice but over half of the songs begin this way & it quickly becomes boring.

15 tracks later & most will have been forgotten already, unmemorable & un-inspired, the speed of the delivery suggest the band wanted it to be over as quickly as the listener.