DOWNLOAD: The Bastard Noise - "Mutant World of Shame / Underworld" (hosted on 20 Buck Spin)

The Red List came out last month on 20 Buck Spin and this is a split release from grindcore heavyweights The Bastard Noise and The Endless Blockade. According to 20 Buck Spin's website, this "album was first hatched in idea form on the occasion of a show between both bands in 2007".

The Bastard Noise start off the disc with five tracks (~30 minutes) of sludgy, bass-heavy doom which is overlaid by squalling guitars and electronics. Vocals range between a "Cookie Monster" death metal growl and a higher pitched demonic shriek. Unlike some of the past releases from The Bastard Noise, there are some boundaries and structure to the music which makes this the closest that I've heard the band come to actual songs. While this is still music the most people outside of the genre wouldn't understand, The Red List moves The Bastard Noise back toward their hardcore roots (which started with Man is the Bastard) and the sound on this disc is comparable to bands like Starring Janet Leigh (Metal Blade/Ironclad).

The Endless Blockade contributed three tracks (two of which are ~ 15 minutes each) which range from power violence to white noise. The leadoff track, "Deuteronomy", is a solid slice of aggressive hardcore that starts off with some blast beats and hoarse, street punk vocals. Over the course of this 15 minute song, there are slower almost proggy moments and an interlude of squalling electronica (both of which the band returns from with a hardcore blast). Unfortunately, once the band got my attention with "Deuteronomy", they lost it with remixes of "Advance Directive" and "Model 49 Rebreather" (both from 2008's Primitive sessions). "Advance Directive" isn't a bad song but Noah Creshevsky's cut and paste techniques left this song as a jarring series of starts and stops that seemed out of place with the overall flow of this disc. I don't know what to say about "Model 49 Rebreather" other than it is 15 minutes of pure white noise. The "song" was supposed to have been remixed by The Rita but I'm not sure how one would remix static.



Links:
The Endless Blockade
The Bastard Noise