“Class is cancelled.”The first words on Ruling Class Cancelled are bellowed by Jason Netherton of Misery Index after a riffalicious introduction, before their not-so-grandiose seven-and-a-half minute side of the split gets underway. And I mean not-so-grandiose in the best way possible; I mean, who the fuck wants grindcore that drags on forever? “Not I,” says I.

Misery Index release the shortest track of their career on ’49 Seconds of Hate.’ As you could guess, the track is 49 seconds long and it’s hateful. There’s also a re-recording of the Discordia track ‘Meet Reality,’ tastefully executed (but then, the LP version was too, so why did they bother re-recording this?). Adam Jarvis’ drumming is indubitably the best thing on these four Misery Index tracks, blazing through this brief section of songs like it’s his last time he’ll ever drum before being shipped off to have his legs amputated for a poor boy in Idaho. Or something.

Then there’s Mumakil, Switzerland’s resident burgeoning machine of blastcore. Where Misery Index resigns themselves to a drum-heavy production, Mumakil thunders in high contrast with dissonant guitar chords right off the bat with ‘Mass Murder Institution.’ Plainly, one track, that ONE track is worth the price of admission. It is a savory, minimalistic blastfest featuring nothing more than the necessary elements that give people the will to kill. Entertainment is one thing, but evoking spiritual misanthropy is another, and Mumakil’s got that in spades from the get-go. When that new Relapse full-length of theirs drops, you would be wise to pick it up (better yet, forcefully snatch it from the hands of the weak and feeble with a Kalashnikov in tow).

Are thirteen and a half minutes worth your hard-earned money? Yeah, if you’re a grind lover like me. The uninitiated may want to check out each of the band’s full-lengths before pursuing Ruling Class Cancelled.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments