Crush, kill, grind, decimate, destroy.
The smashing, crusted out grindcore that is Occult 45 has dropped their latest offering Human Abhorrence. Those that know the Philldelphia, PA crew's schtik already will be wise to the game: utterly depraved 80s grindcore with a touch of sludge and noise here or there. The crew has been churning out tunes for the last four years and is far from finished.
Human Abhorrence has a sound that well matches its title. A misanthropic, raw slug-fest that is more than happy to beat you over the head with a broken bottle. Immediately John Hauser's vocals bring to mind those of Brandon Brown's (deeper voice of Full of Hell) or James Pliggue (Harm's Way) with their depth and spitting vitriolic rage. Coupled with the seemingly stripped fidelity of the recording and the whole thing comes off as raw and burnt.
Structurally, Human Abhorrence is what you would come to expect from a grindcore album. It's loud, crunchy, quick and free of fat. Occult 45 doesn't even bother with an intro. “Plaster Saint” spits through the speakers, blasting and jagged. What's immediately recognizable about the band is their irregularity in beats. “Plaster Saint” both blasts at a zigzagging pace, like it's cutting with a serrated edge. Though the band follows the formula well, they never quite keep things going at a general pace. They like to jump around before they blast, after they blast, even as they blast. “Chainsaw Vigilate” comes with a similar flavor.
Though the band is most firmly rooted in grindcore, they're perfectly content to throw in some noise to chain some songs together. It can leave one wondering how the album would benefit or suffer from them getting experimental with it; whether or not they could bring more caustic chaos to their skin stripping sound.
Though Occult 45 have a great ensemble of tunes here, the band kicks through seven tracks in just over twelve minutes. Just as its started, it's over. Though it's a pretty kick ass time. Those that have an affinity for the 80s era of grindcore, such as Scum-era Napalm Death as well as the sludgy influences of bands like Grief or Noothgrush will find themselves right at home with Occult 45. Though I'd highly recommended this for anyone into grindcore.
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