JohnnyoftheWell
step aside Charli XCX there is a new phrase and its Magdalena Bay Fall. ?Imaginal Disk? is the sophomore record from duo Magdalena Bay
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09.17.24 SPUT ROYALE: Round 1 Group D ♦09.14.24 SPUT ROYALE: Round 1 Group C
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JULY of G R I ん D (REC me)

HELLO SPUTNIK it is a new month I am behind schedule here is a space where the new schedule will be don't have a laptop so this draft will be short plz rec me albums
1Orchid
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!

LEADERBOARD SO FAR

1. March ('60s) - 3.685
2. January (Ambient) - 3.567
3. June (Metal) - 3.532
4. May (AsleepBS) - 3.404
5. February (Glitch) - 3.278
2Orchid
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!

July 2nd

Holiday break
3Orchid
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!

July 3rd

Holiday break
4Orchid
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!

July 4th

Buffer to wrap up metal month
5Orchid
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!

July 5th

Buffer to wrap up metal month
6Orchid
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!

July 6th

Buffer to wrap up metal month
7Cleric
Regressions

July 7th
Mars rec
2010

Alright, so I was extremely ready to heap it on this one for a) not being a fucking grind album and b) exceeding the 70 fucking minute mark

And then I listened to it end to end

And then I sat there thinking what in the fuck

And then I immediately clicked play again on some random track around halfway through the tracklist which one I do not know and did not care it did not matter

And since then it has hardly been off as long as my laptop has been open (tuning into CBL Hydroponic Garden as I write this for a comedown, but phwoar baby it's gonna go on again soon)

This is easily one of the most ambitious and excitingly realised mathcore records I've ever heard. For those unfamiliar, the deal here is a particularly raw take on your usual mathcore frenzy fleshed out to sprawling/experimental effect with a shitton of doom and drone, and (occasionally) accelerated to the point of straight grind - all performed with such pyrotechnic BOOSH that its hysterically contorted songwriting is just another part of the spectacle and rarely a detraction. I love not being able to second-guess this thing. *It* is technically dense as all fuck, but it's also such a riveting listen that my eyes hardly grazed the clock while it was on. Just one highlight after the next, within whichever sprawling frankensong. Take out the convenient interludes and it'd be hard to tell where song ends and the next begins, though each does have a different flavour - The Boon is your boi for straight up math frenzy, Poisonberry Pie is the one for filthy prognoodles of filth, closer The Fiberglass Cheesecake is 3 minutes of grind/glitch shatter followed by almost three times that of (excellent) winding piano outro as the pieces slowly slowly fall. Not a weak link to be found here.

Is it perfect?? Uh not quite - obligatory comment about slightly overbearing interludes (though this alb does warrant *some* padding between tracks), and I think the opener Allotriophagy looses its focus towards the end of its droning backend (those 19 mins are *almost* a fair flex otherwise), but this is the kind of record so sensationally chaotic and so damn good at going its own way that notions of perfection are wasted on it. Fuck that noiz.

So I am a happy chap. This is everything I ever wanted from Comity done three times better. This warrants the Lost Masterpiece Of Chonkform Core title that an extremely mistaken contingent chose to pin on Amia Venereal Landscape for whichever silly poorly sequenced ambient pleb reason. It is Choirs of the Eye for the core kids who think they're better than other core kids (and tbh not incorrect in thinking so). It would have been a major highlight on last month's metal list (on which its doom/drone side would have handily warranted inclusion).

...and the grind sections do go hard.

4.24
8Repulsion
Horrified

July 8th
Rabid rec
1989

Shit damn, this thing technically originally dropped in 1986? Amazingly clear showcase of grind fundaments here - punkish energy, gritty delivery and tone profile (LOVE that fuzzy bass omg) mixed with the same vox and riff style that would go on to define death metal (shit fuck this was ahead of the game). Vox are in that pocket of death/lower-range thrash style that I don't particularly care for, but this is solid enough that I largely found myself getting over it.

This is mostly a good shot of energy - there's ceiling imposed by the Classic Genre Gripe that the manic pace/lack of songwriting diversity risks a burnout despite the short runtime, but despite that I still managed to extract a solid set of highlights (Radiation Sickness / Lurking Fear / Maggots in Your Coffin). No strong feelings here, but it was a cool foundation text and I'm glad to have touched base with it.

3.5
9Death Toll 80k
Harsh Realities

July 9th
Asleep rec
2011

this is freight train
I rly hate the overuse of that image, but this one earns it perfectly - just goes and goes, slick prod but plenty of rough edges, somewhat boilerplate stylistically but tight enough that it doesn't matter, exactly as long as it needs to be (which is *slightly* longer than you'd think), this is nasty and good nice well done

4.0
10Combatwoundedveteran
I Know A Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos

July 10th
Sloth rec
1999

this is rat poison
more people should use that image. it sounds like shit in a vaguely good way that would probably be better if it were outright lofi. it is not tight it is sloppy and kinda fun, but not fun enough to not feel twice as long as it is (I hate runtime discourse for grind, and by the end of this list so will you). dug this moderately over a couple of spins, but not enough to come back to it probably. nice screwball rec ig

3.5
11Kuroi Jukai
Kuroi Jukai

July 11th
DadKung rec
2015

This fucking rips and is comfortably the best actual grind record on the list so far. Prod is fantastic, performances are crazy tight, nastiness is fucking there, pacing is mostly* pristine, incorporation of noiz sounds as an abrasive breath-giver is delicious. 10 minutes is perfect for this. Love it

*The only thing holding me back from rating higher is the balance between the grind and noise tracks - love how individual tracks cap off in a couple of seconds of noise, but the full-on lacunas stall the momentum more than I appreciate (for reference, Shapeshifter's record last year absolutely nailed that balance, though the actual noise elements here are more compelling)

4.19
12Terrorizer
World Downfall

July 12th
botb rec
1989

Oh hi there inescapable genre classic let's go. Hmm. I respect this for sure - really tight album, great production and killer performances across the board. Love how down to earth the drum prod and playstyle are - blasts are reined in for the most part, but land like thunder when the moment calls. A lot of the intensity here is guitar-led, which is unfortunate because the riffs kinda demand you drink your death metal coolaid. Increasingly firm believer dm riffs really do be boring as shit right here - band are great when they punk out though (Fear of Napalm in particular fucks hard too). Glad to have heard this.

3.5
13Sea of Shit
Sea Of Shit

July 13th
Havey rec
2013

Heard this one or maybe not this one once or maybe twice a few years previous and forgot everything about it. We are back

I do not know what algorithm determined at a certain point in time that this specific cult classic powerviolence band would be catnip for all the fuckin people-a-million-miles-up-the-internet's-shitpipe-who-pretend-to-be-above-algorithms (do not get me started on that harveyparkswinescyg list jfc even Pon gets his hooves in here somehow), but there have been worse twists of fate.

This is good and the drumming slaps every skin all of the skins. Songs bang and are gone - perfect pacing - vox is absolutely hilarious in a vaguely angry but mainly comic goofball way. Some proper Mike Patton on the wrong medication clown mic stuff here, won't pretend to be above it

This album bangs I guess it is a gem.
It is good and none of you deserve better.
Will rec it to Ghandhi next time I get flatulent.

3.6

also sorry what the fuck, this band had a new LP out in March why is no-one talking about this you are posers and fake fans and it makes me sick go back to your Youtube suggestions and DON'T CALL ME
14Antigama
Discomfort

July 14th
MoM rec
2004

Not a huge fan of this band ngl - found their record last year to be boring low-end beatdown shit, and this (while it has a little more kick) is about the same kettle of fish. Production is sandpaper in tbh wish-it-had-been-lofi way. Don't like their vocalist either. Their mathy side is pretty tight and some of their riffs bang, but I find this kinda snotty beatdown fodder a little obnoxious.

3.2
15No One Knows What the Dead Think
No One Knows What the Dead Think

July 15th
Hesp rec
2019

Melodic grind with a racing 6incher for every video game Yoko Taro or Hidetaka Miyazaki so much as breathed over? Course this is a Jon Chang project lol - takes after Gridlink far more than DxAx and scratches the same itch adequately. Songwriting milks the riffs just a little too much for proper lean pacing, and the album suffers slightly for it, but those do be dec riffs. Last track suggests the band have more than their main MO going on with some wire-taut Jeromes Dream guitars and a distinctly filthier vocal performance - wonder if we'll hear anything more in that vein in future? Fun nerd shit.

3.5
16Inside The Beehive
Drink Bleach; Live Forever

July 16th
Mort rec
2011

Another album I'd prob call mathcore more than grind, but this do be some fierce fuckin mathcore. Very tight shit, acceptable polished-ish prod, razor taut pacing, incredibly Mort vocal style. Borders on boilerplate at points, though never offensively, and "Bio-Feedback" is great freakshow album that redeems it on that front. Nice.

3.9
17Nuclear Death
Carrion for Worm

July 17th
Hyp rec
1991

Yikes. Death-leaning deathgrind with the fuzziest tincan prod you ever did hear - my experience was definitely not improved by downloading the version with an extra album's worth of EPs stacked onto the end, but even then the album proper is about as far from what I look for in grind as you get. The guitar scuzz did grow on me, so won't be too harsh, but more than anything, this bored me

2.5
18Kaya (US)
Life•Is•Trivial

July 18th
Avagant BDAY rec
2020

Oh baby HAPPY BIRTHDAY (I did jam this on your birthday I promise) - this rec was v short, v sweet, v FUN and maybe a little short on substance even by the standards of 9 songs in 5 minutes, but nothing I'm hung up about. Cool album.

3.7
19Chepang
Chatta

July 19th
calm rec
2020

Okay so this album indirectly stalled the whole list

I jammed it and it slapped - really fucking sharp stuff, love the SAXOPHONE, love how filthy and largely ungimmicky it is (the obligatory extended free improv closer dragged its feet a little), love these guys' take on a somewhat melodic sound that doesn't give you any easier a time for it, though the pacing wore a little thin even given the 17-min runtime though

3.7

but then I saw they also had a NEW ALBUM (Swatta) out this month and gave that a peep because of course

phwoar baby

have been bingeing it ever since trying to work out whether or not it's my AOTY. absolutely next-level shit front-to-back. probably the best grind album I've heard since Terrifyer. am writing a review it is long it is in the works i am procrastinating it, but for now just uh yeah get on this shit. awesome fucking stuff

calm currently winning this list

4.3
20Cellgraft
Cellgraft LP

July 20th
Jester rec
2012

Not much to say for this one unfortunately - performances are solid, tracks are largely indistinct, sound was violent and occasionally brutal but not in a way that got my blood pumping, vocals are a slight weak link. Not bad though

3.0
21The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses

July 21st
ConcubinaryCode rec
2003

so this is what tumblr died for

3.0
22Narcosis
Romance

July 22nd
Deez rec
2006

This rips!

I love the structural arc it goes for as well - got a lot of shape for as an album experience, starting thick and fast but gradually gaining expanse until we start getting fully-formed 'songs' and an album climax? Cool, though I'm not sure that "On A Promise Of A Total Beating" is quite strong enough to be the centrepiece track it goes for - bit indulgent, not as tight in the riffs as it seems to think it is - but the path the tracklist takes to get with is really smartly paved out and also fucking savage. "The World Is Your Oyster And I Am The Hammer" injects a little noisy empty space for a midway reset, and then we're back into the thick of it. And then we're back to the rippers. It kinda fizzles out towards the end, but all these minor blunders are transcended by the way the structure anchors individual tracks. Really engaging, unpredictable banger voyage etc good

4.0
23Contrastic
Contrastic

July 23rd
porc rec
2000

Lol this goofs all over the shop, those fucking keyboards man. I almost get Bungle energy from this, which I guess is a compliment. Really fun, creative album - hope I feel compelled to return, but even if I don't, the novelty of my three spins is going to stick around for a while. 10/10 artwork obviously

4.0
24Crisis Sigil
God Cum Poltergeist

July 24th
Komp rec
2023

Ada Rook fucks and I was RIGHTLY excited for this - her take on grind is fun and predictably savage as hell, and I love the mayhem those fucking glitches stir up all over the shop. drums also slam. closer is perfect. YES!

However, the pacing is a recurring issue, partially in the gaping holes that the likes of Portal Zero leave in an otherwise lean tracklist, but mainly in the shorter lacunas that the shorter tracks have a habit of opening up just as they've gotten stuck into the violence. I guess the intention is for every burst of grind to land to the full, but boi does this put you on stabilisers. Still dig it but wish it was more of a rush.

3.8
25robotosaurus
Sayra Bahk Volume 1 : Last Refuge Of The Exiled Ma

July 25th
Sniff rec
2007

This was fun and scatty and both overlong and erratically paced for an 11 minute album (it's the end of the month, you bet I'm gonna be that bitch), but this band wears their zaniness pretty well! "Beneath the Fallen City" is just a stone's throw from the screwball craziness I got from Contrastic, and I was thrown by the early Melt-Banana-isms on "Turnover" (though that shares its name with a shit band so no credit). Closer being a straightforward-ish posthxc barnstormer also threw me lol this album is odd and I don't get its shape but I did have good time thank u sniff

3.5
26The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Mongrel

July 26th
Manatea rec
2007

hmm yeah i think i missed the boat on this very-much-not-a-grind band. would probably have fucked with this when my twin TFOT and TDEP fandoms were at their peak. too sporky for my mathcore preferences, not sassy enough for my sasscore preferences. nhuh

3.0
27Watchmaker
Kill. Fucking. Everyone.

July 27th
ffs rec
2003

This was horrible sandpapery fuck and I vaguely liked it? Good album.

3.5
28Escuela Grind
Memory Theater

July 28th
canczar rec
2022

So a) I missed this on my 2022 grind catchup fuck, and b) this is HIRS-approved queer band with a song on another album about a circle of incels jerking each other off with razorblades? Aight! Hold my beer

Update: turns out this is closer to a (relatively) mid-tempo chug marathon than the rrrrrush I'd want from grind. Probably goes hard as nails live and the vocals definitely have a few killer moments, but the songwriting is muddy and the pacing tepid. Ballou prod being probably the most distinctive thing about it does not spark joy.

3.0
29Lotus Eater Machine
Prisoner to Seven Demons

July 29th
purp/p4k rec
2023

nuh ngl i did not really care for this mathcore/deathcore PAIN AND TORMENT gauntlet, felt belaboured and boorish and somehow short of the visceral impact it clearly reaches for. not badly executed, but tastelessly overbearing (and without the vitriolic shot-in-the-arm glee that I have been more than happy to take as compensation from so much of this list). meh.

2.9
30Oktober Skyline
That's How Tripods Work

July 30th
cylinder rec
2005

This is some gnarly fuckin mathcore and the energy/production combo make me feel heavily razorwired. Didn't click with it as much as I'd have liked - been a long month and I think my nerves are finally fraying :[[[

3.2
31Fear of God (CHE)
Pneumatic Slaughter

July 31st
zoosh rec
1992

there is triumphant brass

and then 8 minutes of ear-destroying lofi violent fucking shit

and there is triumphant brass and um that's it

i admire this approach to albuming i did not take anything away from any of the individual songs but it did not matter, they albumed and shredded and it was good.

3.5
32Plutocracy
Sniping Pigz

July 32nd
Ryus rec
2000

oh my fuck, i am so glad i included this in the end. gangsta rap + grind + a lot of SNIPED pigs omfg this is at once hilarious and savage and goes hard as nails. the grind/non-grind content play off each other so haphazardly that there's always space for those samples to open and LAND. songwriting-wise, this is a delightful fucking mess, vision and pig-sniping-wise, it's always obvious where it's going - there are MANY PIGZ and therefore many songwriting decisions i fucking approve

4.2
33Anathema
Judgement

Mean rating: 3.553
Median rating: 3.5
Mode rating: 3.5
Range: 1.8
Minimum: 2.5
Maximum: 4.3
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