Originally released on 625 Thrash Records back in 2007 and now re-released by arguably the original grindcore record label, Texas’s Insect Warfare continue where the monstrous grindcore recent efforts of fellow Texans Kill the Client, Maruta, Captain Cleanoff and Napalm Death, left off.

Basically, Insect Warfare is like my mother in law; short, explosive, loud, violent and only tolerable in 20 minute bursts. The 20 tracks on World Extermination range from 13 seconds to an epic 1:49 culling from only the most classic of grindcore and none of this spazzy Nu grindcore bollocks. This is no compromise, no bullshit, ultra fast power chords, blast beats like early Napalm Death (From Enslavement to Obliteration) or Terrorizer on steroids (heck, even the album title and cover reminded me of Terrorizer’s World Downfall). No experimentation, no samples and nothing that comes close to Napalm’s Death more sonorous, controlled and progressive take on grindcore, just sheer, blistering seething cacophony wrapped in a gritty, powerful, raw production. The vocals are simple, to the point mix of deep (but not comically so) growls and fevered screams-standard but effective and primitively savage.

There are no memorable or standout tracks and no filler, just a 22 minute beat down, that’s actually far more destructive than the peers mentioned above, as there’s not a single iota of catchiness-just a sonic high colonic. Only “Decontamination” and closer “Evolved into Obliteration” take the foot of the throttle for a few beats as tracks like “Human Trafficking”, “Mind Ripper”, “Armored Virus”. “Nuclear Deterrence”, “Protection Maze” and “Paranoia” just to name a few, simply rip at you like an escaped, rabid Pit Bull and you were wearing a Michael Vick jersey.

Congrats to Earache for gaining back some grindcore respectability after almost 20 years.

[Visit the band's website]

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