Review Summary: Twelve minutes in L.A.
It's pretty safe to say that Graf Orlock has monopolized the "cinema-grind" genre. In its seven-plus years of existence, Graf Orlock has become known for its incorporation of movie clips into its stellar brand of grindcore, and "Doombox" is no excpetion. Yet, while samples often feel gimmicky when used by other bands, Graf Orlock effectively melds them with its music, creating songs that are partly tongue-in-cheek humor and partly satirical social commentary.
With "Doombox," the Los Angeles natives have scaled down their assault on global politics to focus on urban violence and decay. Vocalists "Karl Bournze" and "Jason Schmidt" trade screams amongst grindcore blastbeats and towering riffs that pay homage to southern rock. "South Central" opens as a typical hardcore jam before evolving into a complete riff-fest, while the second-half of "Arrested at Lunch" features smooth bass lines that delve into Cave-In territory. "1993; A Week B4 Graduation" even features a brief drum machine interlude before returning to Graf's usual dissonance. Closer "New Year's Eve 1999" is grindcore-by-the-numbers, setting aside experimentation in favor of pummeling the listener's face.
While "Doombox" doesn't re-write the book of grindcore, it contains enough hooks to keep the listener coming back for more. At just under twelve minutes, one does wish it was a bit longer, but at the same time, its just long enough to enjoy while enduring an unwarranted traffic stop from a racist police officer. Or while standing in line at the unemployment office.
