Malaysian grinders Damokis play an odd, distortion filled style of mid-paced grind.  With a few splits and an EP under their belt, Grinding Mother Whore is their debut album, and it’s an odd genre-bender that might grab some, but didn’t really do anything for me.

Damokis play a slower, Insect Warfare-ish type of grind, with heavily distorted guitars and some odd vocals to say the least.  They’re a mix of guttural growls, a few higher shrieks, and even parts of “Strengthen the Weakness” where it sounds like a cat is attacking the microphone.  From what I’ve found they are handled by main vocalist Tasyrif and Wan, who also mans the bass.  It’s an eclectic mix to say the least, and one that will surprise you more than you might expect in a genre filled with similar sounding vocalists.

“Lantai Enam” sees the band further pushing the genre envelope, as it starts out with an almost Lynyrd Skynyrd southern rock type of vibe, complete with clean vocals and all.  The lyrics and song titles are definitely tongue-in-cheek, with “Goldilocks Strikes Back” and “Night of the Ultimate Dracula” some of the more amusing ones.  In typical grind fashion the songs are shorter, usually hovering around the 2 minute mark.  You get some fun samples, including a great one from comedian George Carlin that starts out “To Know You is to Kill You”.  Again there are not really many, if at all, balls out grind moments, with the band going for more of a doomy grind feel if you will.  There’s very little bottom end, with the varied vocal style and chainsaw guitars dominating most of what you can hear on an overall muddy production, which was likely a conscious style choice.

If you’re looking for a little change of pace and an album that isn’t afraid to take chances, give this one a listen.  If you’re looking for more face smashing grind style, check out the new Cripple Bastards, which I’ll also be reviewing (shameless plug YAY!).

[Visit the band's website]

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