More grindcore for spring, this time from Sweden’s Sayyadina (a character from Frank Hebert’s Dune) a trio featuring members of Victims, General Surgery and Nasum, and with that description, you should have a pretty solid idea of Sayyadina’s sound.
The Great Northern Revisited compiles all the bands splits, 7” records and compilations dating back to 2001s split with Bruce Banner, as well as 4 unreleased tracks (to my best estimate “”Min Onva Ban”, “Instrumental #1”, “Instrumental #2” and “Downfall”) and honestly I don’t have the time or resources to tell you what tracks come from where, but rest assured this is some well don’t, classically styled grindcore that culls from the more punk/crust roots of the early UK scene (Napalm Death, ENT, Unseen Terror) especially the early tracks. Later, on the band develops a more typical Swedish grindcore tone with mid range presence that reminds of Nasum, Gadget, Rotten Sound (I know, they are from Finland) and such, so as you’d expect from such a far reaching compilation, there is some separation and distinction between tracks, and there is a tangible evolution throughout the 30 tracks that shows the band developing from their primal punk beginnings to a buzz saw styled machine alter on.
Dissecting 30 tracks of grindcore is pointless, but you can look to the Albums blistering midsection from “När Fag Faller”, “Black Rose”, “Mid Livet Som Insats” and the simply fucking furious “Swallow” as the bands bench mark that perfectly blends the raw punk vocals and dense mid range guitar tone of the bands development. While the tracks from Relapse’s Swedish Assault compilation (“Retaliation”, “Civilization”, “Automation”, “Compulsion”, “Stagnation”, “Confrontation”) stand out as the collections best tracks both stylistically and sound wise.
Scott Hull masters the whole affair, but he ensures the original energy and fury is present for the older tracks and that the material never veers too far into Nasum clonage, making The Great Northern Revisited an essential collection for grindcore fans.
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Now I’m curious as to which character was Sayyadina. I saw Lynch’s Dune a long time ago and found it a very ambitious train wreck yet I never read the books. Was she in the film?
As for the band: Beautiful Swegrind. Even in their early stages you can see the hulking monstrosity they would become.
on Apr 22nd, 2010 at 07:56Sayyadina was a title for a Fremen priestess. Paul’s mother was a Sayyadina.
on Apr 23rd, 2010 at 18:59I have had this in my car since the release date, It is awesome. I love Swedish grindcore and if you do to , GET IT. The bands 2 full length albums are also spectacular.
on Apr 23rd, 2010 at 23:44this is really rad.
on May 16th, 2010 at 17:34