Review Summary: Washington based grinders give you a full dose of fury.
Magrudergrind have already proven they can play fast, loud, and ultimately kick your face in small doses. With a handful of splits and extended plays its about time the band released another full-length, the other one being 2007's Rehashed. The question is were they able to sum up to the brutality and aggressivness of their previous effort? The answer is yes, Its become apparent that the bands ability to rapidly grind your face off is constructed and used effectivley in their self titled full-length.
Upon my first listens, I was very pleased and knew this was going to be another solid effort. I couldn't help but get over how hard hitting it was. This alone was easily enough for me to dig. Almost immediately I was happy to hear an improvement in the sound of the band. The vocals have took a drastic change in listenability. On previous works the vocals are sometimes unbearable, with the singer wailing to an annoying degree. With this no longer present I find the band in general to be more accessible.
By the time a few tracks went by I was exhausted. 'Bridge Burner' easily one of the standout tracks on the album provides you with a break from the speed assault and crushes you with its slow tempo, which makes the riffs pulverizing. After this the album continues with its fast numbers and basically leaves your head spinning. Until it reaches the short rap sample in 'Heavier Bombing' which to me is some comical relief the album could do without. I find it very embarrassing when you are playing this out loud and this track starts I find myself struggling to skip it as fast as i can.
The use of movie samples are executed nicely, there isn't an excessive amount like most bands in the genre. Anybody familiar with powerviolence knows the use of samples are usually always present and are ridiculously over used alot. Sometimes more than half of the duration of the song deicated to it. Nonetheless they use a steady amount and provide the listener with a laugh or two between songs. Finally the conclusion of the album 'Martyrs Of The Shoah' provides you with a overview of what you have just experienced.
You would also think the lack of a bass player would hold the band back. But in this case it doesnt at all. The lack of bass dosen't stop them from playing their greatest. The guitar on this is incredibly heavy and throughout is loaded with great riffs. Very catchy riffs yet brutal at the same time. So with all these pros you may ask are there any cons? The answer is no, I can't seem to find anything wrong with the album whatsoever. With the exception to the embarrassing 'heavier bombing' Its your basic grind record. Short songs, spine crushing speeds, and hard hitting aggressiveness. What else could you ask for?
Overall for any fans of grind/powerviolence, this should be present in your collections. You will not be dissapointed. Its grind at its purest and fun at the same time.
