Review Summary: Follow the pure pleasure and power of this grind culmination....
‘A final breath of fresh air and unrelenting brutality from Sweden’s leading grind act;’ both satisfying and disheartening in any regard. I’m sure any respected fan of the genre knows the full story behind Nasum’s vocalist Mieszko Talarzyk and the tragedy that befell this group so I’m not going to delve into pessimistic meanderings. Lets keep all things at its highest pinnacle and follow the pure pleasure and power of this grind culmination, which brings true remembrance and recollection to one of the all time greats.
I’ll keep this short and sweet, Nasum is like any grind act except they did what they did exceptionally well, blast beats galore and throat piercing extremity. I for one am always hesitant about spending my hard earned cash on compilations and/or live-set albums; Doombringer being the latter. However, anyone who has been respectfully acquainted with this band/album will appreciate these live recordings from Nasum’s final tour in Osaka, Japan. The carry-over of studio recordings to live performance is completely hit and miss for most bands and the grind genre is no exception. Nasum was one group that never relied on heavy production value to carry their sound, (not to say it wasn’t good) but merely dedicated themselves to their musical endeavors and perfected a distinct sound that is both rhythmically pleasing as it is ear scouring.
When first introduced to these guys, most will be quick to write them off. The blast beats can be extremely overwhelming, leaving very little room for anything memorable. I was completely turned off after listening to their newest LP ‘Shift’ for the first time. However, this type of music, although chaotic and blisteringly fast, also demands your patience and undivided attention and requires multiple listens. I’m going out on a limb here, but this album is a great place to start for new listeners, a statement completely profound for a live album. Regardless, these recordings, in most respects, are just as good, if not better, than the studio recordings. The title track, ‘Just Another Hog’, ‘Inhale/Exhale’, ‘Scoop,’ ‘Lopandebandsprincipen’, and ‘The Masked Face’ just to name a few, exhibit true muscle and grit, utilizing all that is fast and technical with Nasum. The album also features spoken segments from Mieszko himself, which greater epitomizes this grind legend.
I could assess a track-by-track synopsis of this album, however this type of examination seems highly unnecessary. Of course, the slower, more pronounced tracks will be much more accessible for newbie’s and the faster tracks will have lasting appeal for those who have been along for the hectic ride. Regardless, this is an impeccable method in bringing remembrance to a group that was disciplined in their craft. Clocking in at a mere twenty-five minutes, this monster of a live set shows Nasum doing what they did best, and will forever bring a smile to my face in recapturing the rendezvous of these Swedish greats.
