Album Review: Noisear- Subvert the Dominant Paradigm

It's surprising how many people don't realize how experimental grindcore really is. To the untrained ear, it really is just a wall of noise, but if you're able to get past the chaotic aesthetics and listen to all the subtle nuances, you'd be surprised. Such is the case with Noisear's newest full length Subvert the Dominant Paradigm. There may not be a whole lot of discernible riffs, or even song structures at all, but there's more experimentation going on than a prep school dorm room (ZING!).

What caught my attention right away on this album was its crystal clear production value. I know this is how I started my last album review, but it still bears repeating. Low-quality, muddy production has almost always been the norm for grind, but Noisear took a different approach this time around and chose to brighten everything up, particularly the drums. They stand out vividly, but not to the point where they sound overbearing. Instead it actually helps make some sense of the utter chaos, because you can hear the beat and tempo that the songs are following. And with songs like these, that's actually a pretty a pretty good thing to have.

On the other hand, it doesn't matter whether it sounds clear, muddy or anything in between if the music's no good, but luckily that's not the case at all. Subvert the Dominant Paradigm is forty-five minutes of quality, top-notch grind from beginning to end. Mind you it's only that long because the last song is a whopping twenty minutes long, and no I did not listen to that one, but the rest is still pretty rad. The music is very experimental, but don't confuse that with the progressive noodly kind of experimental. When I say experimental, I mean the "let's see what weird shit I can make my guitar do without going below the sixth fret" kind. Killswitches, dissonant chords and extremely jazzy rhythms are all utilized to create an experience that is equal parts exciting and just plain confusing (in a good way). On the other hand, there is also plenty of the simple three-chord D beat anarchist groove that we've all come to know and love from this genre, so don't worry about it going over your head. This is just really good grindcore made for and by dedicated grind freaks.

8/10

A well-deserved score. Good job Noisear, you've earned it. Subvert the Dominant Paradigm is out now via Relapse Records, be sure to pick it up if you're looking for some really good modern grind. Leave your thoughts below, and stay tuned for more, I keep saying we have big things in store and I'm not just jerking you around. Stay brutal.

-BK