New Noisear video

You guys may or may not remember Noisear from when I reviewed their new album Subvert the Dominant Paradigm last month. A few days ago, Relapse Records announced the premiere of a new music video from that album for the song "The Last Spark of Resistance", and although it's one of the cheapest videos ever (the whole thing is one big picture/video montage), it's also kinda badass. I'm not usually a fan of videos without the band in them, but in this particular case the simplicity of it actually works in its favor. As I said before, the whole thing's just a mashup of video clips and pictures of natural disasters, destruction and anarchy, a.k.a. the source of inspiration for every grindcore band in the history of the known universe. Plus the whole thing's less than a minute long, so this is pretty much as DIY as it gets, kinda like something a metalhead kid would do as a presentation for a class project. In any case, it's still a sweet song, so check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eF7KPRjTPs

Subvert the Dominant Paradigm is out now via Relapse Records, and the label has also let it slip that Noisear are currently working on booking a full US tour in the near future to promote the new album, so we'll definitely keep you guys informed on that.  Leave your thoughts on the new video below, and keep tuning in for more fun stuff.

-BK

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

Relapse Grindcore Double Feature

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Got a case of the Mondays? Well then this should brighten up your day. Within the last week, the Relapse Records website announced new tracks from not just one but TWO awesome grind bands. First up is Albequerque, New Mexico's Noisear, whose new track "Life Consumed You" is streaming here. It's a solid minute or so of experimental, trippy, yet still heavy-as-balls grind (yes, balls are very heavy), and if the rest of the album is this good then it will definitely be a must-have for any grind enthusiast's collection. We'll find out when said new album, entitled Subvert the Dominant Paradigm, drops on February 1st. If you want to hear another new track (you greedy bitch), follow the first link to their Myspace page, where they're streaming the song "Global Warning" from the recent Relapse label sampler.

Next up is one of the genre's leading bands, none other than the Finnish grind machine Rotten Sound. They've released the first song from their upcoming full length Cursed on their Myspace as well, simply called "Plan". RS is a bit more straightforward than the previous band, opting for the more tried and true grindcore sound, but that doesn't make them any less devastating. Their last three albums (and their latest EP) have been nothing less than top-notch, and the new song sounds just as good as anything from those releases, so I personally am looking forward to this the most (don't worry Noisear, daddy still loves you too). Cursed is set to release on March 15th, so be on the lookout for that as well. Plus both of these albums will of course be reviewed by yours truly once they're made available, so that way you'll know just how awesome they are before you even *snicker* buy them. Stay tuned folks, there's more where this one came from.

-BK