Siege of Hate
Subversive by Nature
7.5
I'm always so astonished at how recognizable the music coming out of certain countries is. There's nothing as uplifting for me, as a reviewer, as when you hear an album for the first time and are able to predict where the hell it came from. After listening to a few tracks and likening it to Krisiun if they had the ability to slow down and more of an interest in hardcore/grind, it seems completely appropriate to find out that the members of Siege of Hate come from Brazil. I'm not completely sure as to where that idea came from, but probably a more accurate comparison would be what the band themselves and other critics tend to draw parallels to - old Napalm Death, Terrorizer, and Brutal Truth.
They've got a tight sound that's equal parts punk/thrash as it is death metal. The anthemic stylings of the title track, with the fast and catchy break in the middle, suggest that the members of Siege of Hate likely came from a hardcore background. It's sort of unexpected to hear this style played with so much clarity - I'm not sure I'm into it. A lot of the DIY feel is lost with the crisp and beefed-up sound that's been applied to Subversive By Nature, accenting the plainness of the grindcore recipe. Still, complaints aside, the sound even tips the scales in their favor by supporting the blunt feeling of "The Walls Built Inside Us", amplifying how effective the methodic transitions are. Sounding like they could be taken out of the Earache back catalogue, complete with an array of maniacal screams, yells, and growls, Siege of Hate even have a little fun with their sound just as the bands of years ago would've done. "Trust" is a sixteen-second passage that spends barely ten seconds with a sad acoustic melody before tearing your head off with unexpected blast of grind, while one of the longer tracks on the album, "The Future is Your Gift" plods along for three vastly uncharacteristic minutes of sluggish riffing and processed and garbled chanting.
Also, be sure to listen to the album the entire way through, as there's a treat at the end.
Between this and the latest release by Sewn Shut, I'm honored to have the opportunity to review and hand out reasonably good scores amongst two underrated grindcore acts. It's impressive to hear this style still played today and preserved well. So while there aren't any boundaries being pushed or destroyed by Subversive By Nature, there's enough first-class music on here to warrant it's purchase.
