I gotta hand it to Relapse – Results is one hell of a cut-throat release in terms of deathgrind songwriting. It’s experimental, without departing from the outlines of what defines this genre as the game-changer of extreme metal throughout the ages; still, it dares go into whatever direction it damned well sees fit, and I’ve to admit it’s what I love most about my grind-savvy DM; it’s libertine as all get-out. It gets whacked out on the biggest whims and fucking tears up the entire tableau with the most out-there trickery you can possibly find in terms of abstract and forward-thinking psychedelia that sounds like the most threateningly large and monstrous embodiment of war times weaponry stomping all across small towns of the universe while growling its throat out spitting a whole bunch of profanities in all languages. This record is fresh from front to back – it doesn’t get repetitive, excessive, or lost in translation – it aims for the hilltop and gets there no effin’ problem. Danny Walker and Leon De Muerte from Impaled/Exhumed/Intronaut fame, along Cattle Decapitation‘s Travis Ryan, are busting their asses on this one to go beyond themselves making each cut a worthwhile and unique one, which is a skill that shows exactly how matured a musician’s songwriting abilities are, considering grind tracks are fairly short and it takes a lot more than run-of-the-mill pummel to impress the modern day grind fan – so it’s impossible to make any mistake here, the men in this tribe know their shit and are heavily obsessed with their journey to find the squillions of new avenues they can take their compelling sounds into.

”Red All Over” is fairly eerie, which says a lot about the entire vibe of the album – there’s a knack for ambiance, and it does get carried throughout brilliantly. Nevertheless, this is an unconstrained and frenzied record, and said aura of austerity is simply the solid backbone of this whole ordeal. The leads are heavy, and are quick to lead up into an eruption of all the song’s arrangements that is pretty goddamned imminent and end times-friendly. This track fires away in every direction like a sniper – and as cliché as saying this might sound, this description is the most fitting. The vocal line is pretty catchy, and this is something I have to underline about this band – they truly make the most out of their possibilities with the vocals. A great vocal line can have as much impact as the coolest main riff – and this, Murder Construct understands. On each track, the main man’s full range is exposed, and his sense of knowing how to hit hard is perfectly honed. There’s also a clear talent at creating memorable melody through the thick walls of dangerously sharp grind, and that’s something I heavily admire – putting it in just the right places, where it rings right, is something I’m not hearing all bands do in the best possible incarnation. These guys know how to cook up a mean combination of atonal, abstract brutality, and slightly more harmonious unfolding of progressive leads that build-up into shiver-inducing patterns.

”Under the Weight of the Wood” doesn’t waste any sort of time frame; it immediately pours in and bleeds the fuck out through every pore and orifice, leaving nothing but a stunned and reeking pile to perish ominously slow, which is all well and good in this case. The atonal lay work underneath a steady drum roll is pretty intriguing and interesting to observe. The frenetic and continued slamming, alternating with the blast beats, creates a neat foundation for this whole tune to sit on. The buildup starting at 1.06 sees it considerably expand its patterning, and that goes to show, especially well, that the man behind this kit is a very seasoned soul. This is fucking bestial. ”No Question, No Comment” sees him keep this philosophy on going with an original entrance into the matter – this is a classic grind moment you might wanna blast on repeat. 45 seconds in, there’s a tidbit of a tinge of a progressive passageway followed by a brutal as fuck, shoot-to-thrill section that gets especially heavy at 1.10. The drumming really carries out this tune fucking brilliantly. 1.30 is particularly sick, and those trippy ass leads make for a good finishing touch.

”Gold Digger” has this very ace and catchy main riff that sounds totally intoxicating atop of this one drum roll. 1.20 is an intricate valley that goes into a fairly abstract buildup; it’s a positively stunning bout of stylish originality right there. This kicks back into this absolutely ba dass main song pattern that I have to admit is my favorite on this entire record. The technical riffage leading the way into ”Compelled By Mediocrity” is something else I have to dig the hell out of – the very straight-forward and cutting lyrics also add in their undeniable load of absolute fondness. There’s a lot of urgency to the organization of the verses, and the hugeness of the sound is very threatening, working as a constant build-up. 1.20 showcases very cool riffage unfurling underneath the extremely prompting ”BORN TO SUCK” statement; that’s one extremely epic moment. The bass drumming sounds especially thunderous throughout this one tune, and the riffage underneath the machine gun drumming is entrancing and just fatally addictive.

”The Next Life” starts off with proggier riffage and drumming, kicking into the expected high-profile grind roll quick enough, but this is a daring brand of fucked up grindcore experimentation that shows that these dudes have been in it awhile and know exactly how to break out of the box and do it right. 56 seconds in, things get especially uncompromising with both urgency and sharpness, along with a clear yard-view of an extremely multi-phased attack. It’s quite nicely creative. There’s a nice descent at 1.25 that really has a way of sucking you in. The second verse sounds especially apocalyptic. 1.53 houses a nifty progressive section with leads that really expand to create some form of more evident ambiance. This carries out the track to seal it up on a note of well-fitting morbidity. ”Dead Hope”s main section is surprisingly melodic and enjoyably so. It’s well-built and sinking in pretty damned well. It’s catchy as heck with a whole bunch of pattern shifts to boot. It’s also fresh-sounding all the way through, and is the kind of song I personally wish could’ve lasted longer.

”Feign Ignorance” has a great atonal quality but doesn’t seem to stick out as much as the other tracks per se. That being said, it’s still a slaughterhouse party. The drumming is apeshit, and the vocals spit venom like nothin’ matters. The background vocals also create a fairly psychedelic affect, and I have to say the end of the song is the most positively puzzling and cool part on board. ”Mercy, Mercy” has a nice harmonization of the vocal line with the drumming and the riffwork alike. The melody is grand with a touch of atonality but still a clear direction in terms of unfolding a path to go into. The chorus, also, is incredibly catchy, and this is an adjective I’ve been using rather frequently while talking about this band – nice work. ”Malicious Guilt” is a brief, but also a (insert C word here) form of decapitation – there’s a shift in pace 41 seconds in going atop one of those dandy melodies that just slice on through the brain, eventually switching back to a killer second verse. I gotta underline, too, that the solo is totally out there – there should’ve been more of these on this disc.

”Resultados” has a very intense main riff going into a uber frenetic first verse. There’s a nice and grindy shift in pace one minute in. 1.16 is the cue for the doomsday ambiance; it’s a progressive dive straight into pits of ether. The down paced work is a hell of an asset of this band’s sound, and they utilize it in kickass ways on this record. 3.57 even has acoustic work crawling in with world music instrumentation, invoking some sort of an Egyptian ghost, which fits elegantly well in this one shot. It sure ain’t the ending I’d expected but it’s also a cool finish, with one haunting melody rounding out the record on the grand piano.

This is a debut of crushing proportions that sure knows to establish exactly who the masters of this turf are – know to appreciate the super groups. This is gonna take on an entity of its own, and it ain’t gonna take five albums – the real deal is here. Snatch a copy of this refreshing slab of modernly intricate aggression – it doesn’t get into a better packaging than this. All-stars lineup, working their bums off to bring you the best they can possibly do and even going straight beyond themselves – what more could you ask? Stop wimping and get it going on.

 

 

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