Beaten to Death - Agronomicon

By Matt Hinch. Back in 2011, this crazy-ass Norwegian band called Beaten to Death decided they were going to take up permanent residence in my head with Xes and Strokes. Seven years, two albums and a live release later, the “melodic grindcore” outfit return.

By Matt Hinch.


Back in 2011, this crazy-ass Norwegian band called Beaten to Death decided they were going to take up permanent residence in my head with Xes and Strokes. Seven years, two albums and a live release later, the “melodic grindcore” outfit return with a pretty swell Christmas present in Agronomicon.

In keeping with their vision for the band, Agronomicon was recorded 100% live. Also, as usual, they bend grindcore at will with their spastic enthusiasm. It's infectious. Their tempo change strategy must revolve around firing a rubber ball around the room and switching when someone gets hit in the head. Dirgy, death metal pummelling, ding, blasting grind, ding, groovy romp, clunk, Telecaster twang, thump, CHAOS. It seems like it should give my straightforward brain a headache but B2D just do it so well. Perhaps they do it too well and have spoiled bands with similar approaches. Names have been omitted to protect the innocent.

There's just something great about an album that can have you circle-headbanging one moment, throwing elbows the next, then swaying your hips and looking for a dance partner until you're spun back into a maelstrom of intensity and cathartic energy.

No matter how gut-wrenching B2D can get at times there's always another time that's totally uplifting. Or how angry they can sound, or disgusting, there's a jangly bit to throw open the shutters and dispel the darkness.

Speaking of gut-wrenching, angry, and disgusting, let's not forget about those vocals I love so much. Not just the leads but the well-timed gang shouts too. They're a good source of involuntary muscle contraction. All of the muscles. I hope I'm not the only one that connects with the vocal Hydra. Piercing screams, experimentation, and that growl. Oh, that growl.

The nature of that feral growl is my spirit animal. That makes about as much sense as building a house with an inflatable hammer but what I'm trying to say is deep down, that's what my inner beast sounds like. That's what this album does to you, man. Scrambles your brain. Like an egg in a frying pan on those old anti-drug ad campaigns. Without all the legal trouble and just as much social stigma.

Time and time again I'm wowed by how Beaten to Death can pack such intensity and creativity into such a short runtime and still infuse it with melody and movement. It's like a dramatic comedy stage play sped way the fuck up. It's definitely not mindless. I think it's their uniqueness that puts them over the top. No one sounds like this. Agronomicon throws more wood on the fire heating their melting pot of crazy fun grind. Why isn't this band more talked about? Or am I just too busy listening to them to hear the noise? I mean, it's like standing in a boxing ring taking endless body shots while being thrown from corner to corner all while laughing with euphoria. Doesn't that sound great?

Mad John the Wise - Voyager

By Calen Henry. Dominic Sohor’s eye catching Voyager cover jumped out at me during a dive into Bandcamp’s “progressive sludge” tag. While definitely progressive and stoner rock, Mad John the Wise are hardly sludge, but they're all the more interesting for it.

By Calen Henry.

Artwork by Dominic Sohor.

Dominic Sohor’s eye catching Voyager cover jumped out at me during a dive into Bandcamp’s “progressive sludge” tag. While definitely progressive and stoner rock, Mad John the Wise are hardly sludge, but they're all the more interesting for it.

For Mad John, "progressive" means cherry-picking approachable elements of alternative rock, punk, stoner rock, and folk into a surprisingly cohesive melting pot of sounds and influences. They cite the usual stoner metal influences, like Mastodon, High on Fire, and Baroness, as well as an eclectic mix including Bad Religion, Kvelertak, Jethro Tull, and Bob Dylan. Though they never actually sound like any of those bands, the heavy, riffy genre hopping of Kvelertak and Priestess comes to mind as their closest conceptual touch point.

Over its run time Voyager gets heavier while staying melodic and catchy. Songs get longer and slower, bringing some truly crushing riffs while maintaining the genre experimentation of earlier tracks. Album opener “The Only Chance” sets the stage with an extended clean guitar intro before breaking into rock. “Knee Scratch”, a punky ode to truancy, keeps the momentum going into “Whisper’s Load”, a riff-focused rock stomper and the last track before things break apart into weightier tracks. “The Karman Line” builds up atmosphere before adding a lead violin to play off the lead guitars, a highlight of the album. “Call of the Wild” continues the slow-burn portion of things, a slower, more drum-driven track featuring Eleni Papalitsa’s vocals to give it a unique feel. “Banishment” kicks things into high rock gear again before the one-two punch of “Monolith” and “The Way of Grace”, the two longest songs on the record and two of the most diverse. “Monolith” ebbs and flows through riffs and rhythms, always grounded in their accessible hard rock, while “The Way of Grace” brings back the folky feel (and violin) of “The Karman Line” before a glorious pop-punk interlude gives way to a guitar break hearkening back to "The Only Chance" to finish out the album.

Mad John just don’t care about genre baggage, which sets them apart the most from peers. Like Kvelertak, first and foremost, Voyager rocks. It’s chock full of head-nodding riffs, and if the riffs are generic, they're only academically so. It’s a playbook of big, catchy riffs from any genre the band happens to like. Sections sound like they could play on the radio or MTV. It’s a refreshing take in a scene that can sometimes get wrapped up in being “underground-er than thou” and worth a look for anyone who hasn't disowned their gateway hard rock and metal bands in favour of the trve kvlt.

Outre - Tranquility

By Hera Vidal. I haven’t discussed a lot of Polish black metal lately and decided to pick something atmospheric yet adventurous that would get me hyped for the week. Enter Outre and their 2013 EP, Tranquility, and how their run time belies the thunderous music.

By Hera Vidal.


I haven’t discussed a lot of Polish black metal lately and decided to pick something atmospheric yet adventurous that would get me hyped for the week. Enter Outre and their 2013 EP, Tranquility, and how their run time belies the thunderous music.

Even for an EP, Tranquility is rather short - 19 minutes of run time - but they get a lot done in that time frame. For one thing, they allowed themselves to fully give reign to their various ideas, creating a primordial soup of sound that shows a foundation for something bigger. What I love most about this EP is their relentless energy in their musical composition, as they pull you deeper and deeper within the thralls of their music. It makes the listener feel like they are watching the band play, as music is being constructed out of thin air. But of course, nothing about the music sounds out of place - the composition is planned and executed extremely well - but it’s easy to imagine how the band came together while testing new ideas. There is a lot of thrash undertones and even a saxophone solo, that really sold the album to me.

All in all, Tranquility is a good start into Outre’s discography, as they have a penchant for the dramatic and the consistent. Everything about this EP is fantastic, well-constructed black metal that needs to be played loud and for long periods of time. This was a truly great find, and I am looking forward to see what else I enjoy about Outre.