SHOCK NARCOTIC - My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not review

 

SHOCK NARCOTIC - My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not

Housecore Records

SHOCK NARCOTIC are a four piece US Grind act featuring musicians from acts like DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, PIG DESTROYER, BATTLECROSS and CHILD BITE. They started out in 2019 with a fourteen song debut EP titled I Have Seen the Future and It Doesn't Work. Back then I heard about the band but never decided check out their music.

Now after listening to this their debut full length I have a few things to say. First off musically this is a very generic style of modern Grind being put forth. Also you hear bits of Groove Metal, Death Thrash, bad 90's Hardcore and wannabe Old School HB1 DM crunch all entered into the mix. I didn't find anything exciting about the thirteen cuts on here. At best it's average.

Vocalist Shawn Knight does have a loud vicious maul when it comes to his singing style. Unfortunately he comes across as more of a 90's era Hardcore vocalist then his Grind vocalist peers from Poland or Finland. As far as the musicianship goes it's average. 

https://housecorerecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://shocknarcotic.bandcamp.com/album/my-flesh-is-afraid-but-i-am-not

The SHORT STACK

The SHORT STACK is a bunch of shorter than normal reviews of releases you don't need to much info on.

GOATHAMMER - Ceremony Of Morbid Destruction

Hells Headbangers Records




So with a band name like GOATHAMMER ya think I'd like em? Ah, yeah right. This is the Canadian band's full length debut of blackened death and depravity. Listening to this is a lo-fi experience of filth and degradation. It has a bestial demo quality sound. Obviously another great release by Hells Headbangers just to piss somebody off. 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

https://goathammer-canada.bandcamp.com/

PIG DESTROYER - Head Cage

Relapse Records




Pardon me as I won't get into the keystroke hipster bullshit which revolves around this band. That's all about comparisons to their early work versus their 2007 breakout release Phantom Limb as well as every succeeding release since. Personally I do have a few PIG DESTROYER releases and in all honesty I never got what was up with the hype. They just play grindcore, big fuckin deal.


As far as this latest one goes the band has not lost their aggressive grind approach and there's a few cuts on here that display that. On the other hand they're also delving into groove and death grind which leans more into death-core. But in the end I couldn't wait to stop listening to this. Frankly there's far more exciting and interesting grindcore bands out there today than this. I know this to be true since I write about em.

https://store.relapse.com/

https://pigdestroyer.bandcamp.com/

BONEHUNTER - Children of the Atom

Hells Headbangers Records



This Finnish band answers the question, "What would  IMMORTAL sound like if they were more punk?" This is their third and, in my not so humble opinion, best full length to date. Their self described "Devil Metal Punk" sound fires out ten great tracks.

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

https://bonehuntermetal.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-the-atom

MORGAL - Self Titled EP

Werewolf Records / Hells Headbangers Records




Even though MORGAL hail from Finland and play black metal they're sound is far from what you would call traditional from that nation's BM scene. This EP of their's is a few seconds over fourteen minutes in length so they're more into the slash and burn aspect of the genre that atmosphere.


The four cuts here are speedy, blast beated, scream fests with some decent tremolo icy riffs. They actually slow down a bit on the fourth track to include a galloping rhythm. The song also includes some haunting intro keys as well as acoustic guitar and a decent rocked out solo. Imagine a IRON MAIDEN cover act in corpse paint as far as that last track goes but with a banshee on vocals.


https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

https://werewolfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/morgal

ROTTEN SOUND - Suffer to Abuse EP

Season of Mist




In 2016 these Finnish grindcore merchants released the full length Abuse to Suffer, which was also on Season of Mist. It wasn't a bad release. Now as to why they would put out an EP two years later with an inverted title? Well I haven't read any interviews over that subject. But these guys are known to do that type of release schedule, LP than EP or EPs thing.


Personally I've always liked em during these short form releases. And I'm going back to the Deathvomit Records' days. As far as this latest one goes it's kinda like the leftovers from their last full length. A couple of true grind crushers, a slow filler and some halfway decent death grind that any snot nosed punk brat could pull off. These Finns are following in the same vein as NAPALM DEATH as in predictable.



http://www.season-of-mist.com/

https://rottensound.bandcamp.com/