It’s Monday and Mondays suck, so let’s grind it out with Horrible Earth’s Discography 2013-2019.
While I have never been to Boston, MA, I have always found the music scene admirable. Particularly the hardcore/punk scene. Hardcore shows (back when shows ere a thing) in Boston have a reputation for being some of the wildest, most off-the-wall events out there. And not only that, but Boston also has a very distinct sound when it comes to a lot of its music. Though it is difficult to describe a lot of the time, a big differential between say NYC hardcore and Boston is the ratio of metal to hip hop influences. Now, this is not the case for NY grind, but something about Horrible Earth is distinctively Boston.
Horrible Earth has this sound that is 100% grindcore. Like to the bone, no bullshit grind. But nestled in their sound is some strong Boston hardcore influence that flirts with death metal. The punch of the songs is what gives off the hardcore vibe, but the guitar work and vocals lean more towards the grind/death side of things.
Discography 2013-2019 is a timeline of Horrible Earth’s music start to current. If you have been reading this column for… how long as this thing been going… four years? Jesus. If you have been reading this column for that long, you have seen Horrible Earth’s name before. Having covered their Typical Human Behavior and split with Psycho you might already know what is in store for you. However, their Horrible Earth demo has not been covered here. And if you are new to this, you get the whole enchilada.
The first nine tracks comprise the band’s demo. And you know what? It is some strong material. Hardcore/death fused grindcore that sounds confrontational, blasting, and uncompromising. But maybe you already got that from the artwork. It is something that has both windmill and circle pit moments. “Vultures Picking At Vultures” has a killer breakdown that has a lot of fight in its fist. “Leaderless Resistor” has the makings of a glorious pile on and the opening track “Bloated Carcass” is a solid slice of 80s death and grind. Also, I think “World Wide Famine” should remind you of Brutal Truth.
Their full-length Typical Human Behavior is the next step in the band’s legacy. Their sound stays like their demo work. The recording tightens and becomes more metal sounding. The writing leans toward a more brutal slice of grindcore. Tracks like “Kill to Preserve” are total peelers but still have their hardcore moments. There are plenty of tracks under a minute that get a lot of mileage out of their minimalism. “Social Collapse” burns through its 45 second run time and makes me wish stage diving was a thing that I could do. I guess I could. I have been wanting a new coffee table.
The final six tracks round out their Psycho split as well as a GG Alin cover of “Look Into My Eyes” live from Maryland Deathfest. The Alin cover is a great slice of intensity that sounds like the band has a strong stage presence. And also, not surprisingly, something that sounds like it is taken from a hardcore show. The split tracks once again show the audio production being upped. The songs are more frantic and intense. This time around the recording sounds more like a grind record. Heavy guitar distortion and total blasting madness. The re-record of “Vultures Picking At Vultures” is particularly great.
If Horrible Earth is a new name to you, you are welcome. Their body of work is not massive but what they have down is some damn great grind. Not that people need more to be pissed about with the election around the corner, but this stuff should be some jet fuel for your Monday. Get grinding on this badass!
