Review Summary: Short n sweet. Potential shows in the Tanpopo....
Tanpopo Crisis is a one man experimental grind band from Canton, Ohio. They've just released one of the quickest EPs I've ever heard, and I'm here to tell you why its worth a shot. If you like the unrelenting nature of grind bands like Pig Destroyer, then there's a chance something here will resonate. Inspired ever so slightly by the shows Serial Experiments Lain, Paradise Dolls, and other interesting anime, its a strange but very original idea for an EP.
Now, this EP is short. Literally only a few minutes long. This is why its quite an achievement that so much is packed into such a short duration; there's some legitimate storytelling here. Each song transitions pretty fluidly from one another, some bringing a small but appropriate onslaught of chaos, other blinking in only for a mere second, creating a suspenseful and unsettling voyage. The transient and unpredictable nature of these tracks helps render this EP a bit above your average grind act. We see a few different influences here. There's some slight alternative metal, slam tendencies, and even a hint of hardcore. There are a few surprising melodic moments on here too. The atmosphere is fast paced and energetic, and with all of these aspects, a trip is rendered that is both short and sweet. The story (or the hinting of one) is influenced by some cool shows and we can hear those aesthetic similarities in the music.
What does hinder this EP to some degree is with production. Things could be cleaned up a bit here; it often seems like samples are just thrown in as is, and some tracks suffer from persisting mechanical drum feel. This might be a part of what the EP is trying to achieve, but they are detractors for me. I also think the EP is much too short, and things end just when the album starts to show its best material. Grind tends to benefit from raw production, and like to see more "unpolished" techniques utilized here.
Overall, this is a solid effort by one dude in his basement. For what it is, it shows quite a bit of potential, and plenty of room for improvement. Even though I have critiques, this is a very fun listen, and definitely worth your time if you enjoy metal and the grind/grindcore genre. There's also some other influences thrown in here that make this quite different from the rest of the pack.
