Baltimore Maryland’s death/grind band Noisem return after a 4 year album hiatus to bring us Cease to Exist, their third and most devastating album to date. Several things have happened since their monstrous Blossoming Decay album from 2014. Sometimes fame too fast can have effects on a band. When Noisem’s debut Agony Defined came out in 2013 they were on the map all over the place. One of their early highlights was being the opener on the Decibel Tour, which Carcass headlined. I’ve seen Noisem, along with my brother-in-law-slips majinsky, multiple times and they always put on an energetic and brutal set with lots of crowd participation.

Noisem continued rising in popularity and after their second album they signed with Relapse Records. Then some line-up shifts took place. Both Tyler (vox) and Billy Carnes (Bass) were gone and I’ve spoke to Tyler since he was let go from Noisem. A nice enough dude and has admitted as much, quite possibly the fame maybe came on too swift and sometimes when that happens, music then does not become the #1 objective and that’s when issues occur. Regardless, Harley (Drums) and Sebastian (Guitar) regrouped and found Ben Anft to become their new bassist and singer. The band had released a tune in 2018 which I felt had too much death metal influence. Now Death Metal is my #1 type of music but Noisem play a brutal crusty death/grind form of music and I was worried. Then came the parting of ways from Relapse Records before Noisem even released an album through them and I was like, “Oh Poopy pants Noisem are gonna pack it in”. But Noisem signs with 20 Buck Spin, flips off the world and with an album cover strikingly close to Agony Defined, Cease to Exist does something I did not think was possible. It becomes their strongest album to date and this may be the most pissed-off, fueled with hate-driven album 2019 sees.

10 songs in 22 minutes and Noisem has little time to waste ripping right into “Constricted Cognition”, which immediately begins with the Holy Shit moment right off the jump with the blasting and super catchy guitars. Yes, this is the Noisem I love and enjoy. Brutal in your face death grind with enough crust from your underwear to smother the non believers. Ben has a Jeff Walker (Carcass) vocal delivery. Quick and biting snarl. The end of the opener ends with ferocious grind whirlwind blasting. “Deplorable” comes up next and again begins to pick you up and start punching you in the face, then grabbing you at the collar at the 50 second mark, blast section, and throttling you all over. Then a little slow down moment, with some Slayer-esque guitar influences and then blasting away again with a cool guitar solo over the blast.

So at this point you’re like this intensity will slow down so I can drop a quick sloppy ploppy in the toilet, but Nosiem will not allow it, so you better be wearing your Depends. “Penance for the Solipsist” comes right out blasting away and chokes you to death with the intense blast. Ben also mixing in some lower end vocals as well. More guitar solos, blasting and some death/thrashing sections. “Putrid Decadence” begins with a very classic death/thrash opening beat, before going into a blast very Terrorizer/Repulsion influenced which will lop your head off from around the corner as you’re trying to eat a cheap $5 foot long sub. “Ode to Absolution” ends the album with a very long epic song-nah just kidding, but at 2.52 this is the longest song and rather then go for the jugular they slow things down with a real doomy and heavy opening part. Then the song picks up speed, some vocals and then the song coming back down again with feedback and then lights out.

The rest of the songs on the album all vary and have loads of blasting, double bass, great audible bass guitar, a guitar sound which would make Repulsion proud and truly an intense album that is more parts grind than death. Musicianship and songwriting is stellar and as mesmerizingly brutal Cease to Exist is, the fellas in Noisem know how to write catchy songs. They stick in your head for a long time. Cease to Exist owns and slays all around. Buy or Die!!

[Visit the band's website]

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