Picture the scene, you are lying naked on a cold floor, your entrails being clawed from your thrashing body as surrounding bones are ground into the merciless surface under you. Despite the assault all you can think about is the swinging hypnotic light accentuating the visceral portrait. That is what listening to UK extreme metallers Foetal Juice is like, a savaging violation of the senses equipped with a bewitching of contagious grooving and irritable hooks. Further proof comes in the new split release from Grindscene Records which lines up the Bury quartet with the equally mercilessly vicious and equally magnetic US band Human Landfill. Unleashing six tracks of grind and death metal inhospitality; the EP is a mouth-watering intrusion which just gets under the skin.
Since forming in 2005, Foetal Juice has been an increasingly potent and striking protagonist on the British extreme metal scene. An early demo was followed by their self-titled debut EP which certainly nudged attention their way, though it is fair to say that it was A Split Worse Than Death, which saw the band share its twenty one tracks with Basement Torture Killings, Decimation, Zombified, and Nailed, and certainly their Big Trouble in little Vagina EP, both in 2013, which sparked new intensive interest in the band. Live too the band has been earning an increasing reputation and acclaim, shows with the likes of Entombed, Wormrot, Exhumed, The Rotted, and tours with acts such as Desecration, Basement Torture Killings, and Zombified only pushing the band into broader spotlights. Now they have this new split to twist up British metal and listener’s psyche, which they do with devilish efficiency and craft.
Their first track is recent single Albert Grindstein, a gem of an incitement whose video upon its solo release gained 30,000 views in a handful of weeks. A sonic lure and beats keen to escape their leash make the first trespass of the ears, their bait swiftly ripped apart for vitriolic grooves and thunderous rhythms to descend ravenously on the senses. It is a gripping assault, the raw vocal squalls being driven by caustic venom whilst guitars cast an inescapable web of acidic grooves and predatory hooks. Behind the bloodlust there is that swing hinted at in the opening of this piece, its swagger as prevalent and persuasive as the individual textures which collude to exploit the listener’s weakest points. It is a treat of a track matched swiftly by Blue Waffle. In some ways this is an evil, more brutal scourge of sound and intent, but again it has that contagiousness which rich grind and death metal thrives on to express deeper and further reaching aspects. It is also more bestial in presence, a bear like smothering which voraciously barks rather than gutturally growls vocally, but devours wholly all the same.
The band’s final offering is Tumour Has It, and it is more of the corrosive same just in an individually appealing and intimidating guise. Grooves and twisted rhythmic assaults create the irresistible canvas over which vocals spill every fluid ounce of their rancor and hate. As the previous pair, the song is sheer creative spite and virulent temptation for any grind and extreme metal enthusiast.
There is much less to reveal about Ohio band Human Landfill as background, though they appear to be a duo consisting of guitarist/bassist Larry Brown and vocalist/drummer Shawn Slusarek, the latter also a member of death metallers Necrophagia. Again they bring death metal and grindcore into a flavoursome brawl, as evidenced on the split, before which a single and well-received debut EP, The Dead Are Not Silent has been tucked into their antagonistic belts.
Acid Vat Descent is their opening play and instantly there is a raw intensity to their sound and song compared to that of Foetal Juice, you could almost say a sombre nature to its outpouring of malice. The song has a few strings to its violent bow though; darker grooves and a great scarring blend of vocals bringing the unpredictability and adventure always needed. The song seems to lose more inhibitions as it explores its addictive qualities and though the flame of a solo does not quite work for personal tastes and the fade out frustrates, the track is a great introduction to the band.
Their other pair of tempests similarly stirs up appetite and increasing enjoyment, Corpse Wine first providing a torrent of primal riffs and sonic acidity within an evolving gait of rhythmic predation. Whereas Foetal Juice’s tracks seem to instantly ignite the passions and hunger, Human Landfill takes a slower but persistently persuasive route to, certainly on the EP, breach the same kind of success. Their second song is a compelling offer but soon overshadowed by the outstanding Dirty Bomb Euthanization. All the hints of uniqueness and manic agitation in design and delivery found in the first two songs come to full life on their third, the track at times a tsunami of lethal beats roared on by vocal rapacity and in other moments a twisting temptation which bares all the wiles of a demonic temptress.
It is an impressive end to an excellent union of two of the world’s exciting emerging bands. Foetal Juice is a bit of a known prospect already to be fair and has only enhanced and pushed on again their thrilling presence whilst the relatively unknown Human Landfill, until now, have surprised and only highly impressed. So there we have it, another fine split all metal fans should explore.
The Foetal Juice & Human Landfill Split is available via Grindscene Records now @ http://grindscenerecords.bigcartel.com/product/foetal-juice-human-landfill-split-pre-order
https://www.facebook.com/FoetalJuice
RingMaster 05/03/2015
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