Thursday, September 23, 2010

G&P Review: Wake

Wake
Surrounded by Human Filth
Hearing Aids
Canadian crushers Wake have staked out a comfortable niche in between Phobia and ASRA on five song EP Surrounded by Human Filth. Between the eerie spoken word-sampled, instrumental opener and the obligatory five minute slow motion kiss off, the band fillets grindcore with ragged edges of droning dirges. But when they do go for grind gold, Wake hit it and quit it with a fervid intensity. “Virulent” is an on-the-verge-of-intelligibility hardcore rager so vicious you can almost see the finger pointing through your headphones while Cavity would be more than happy to five finger the droning bridge of “Cannibal Design” as it winds its way up to a mid-BPM power drill drive. The best balance of the band’s alternating extremities would be the cymbal-clutching blaster “Defiler,” which shows off Wake’s aggression to scintillating perfection.

Wake – “Defiler”

Grindcore, death metal and power violence get all gruff and growly in Wake’s hands. They keep things short and sharp and don’t wear out their welcome. Just a quality beating.
[Full disclosure: the band sent me a download.]

2 comments:

DesiccatedVeins said...

Hmmm, I like it. In between Phobia and ASRA is a pretty comfortable place to be, I'd say. Speaking of Phobia, have you heard their new track from that upcoming record, 'Unrelenting'? SO FUCKING GOOD.

http://www.myspace.com/phobiagrindcore

Andrew Childers said...

nice. the last couple of phobia records left me cold (i prefer means of existence stuff), but that sounded absolutely unhinged. it's nice to hear them sounding so spontaneous again.