Review of Antigama - Discomfort

While Discomfort originally came out a year ago, Selfmadegod made the decision that this record was somehow worth releasing again. Quite frankly, it is, and I'm afraid that I probably never would've given this band much of a chance had I not heard of them originally through their three-way split with Herman Rarebell and Third Degree. So this is Polish grind, but not in the way you might assume. Just when you think you've got a real handle on the metal sub-subgenre game, someone solidifies a new layer for you to learn. Antigama aren't grind in that Napalm Death way or in that old Carcass way, they're grind in that...really..fast...and technical...way. Yeah. Which hasn't ever make sense to me, but I digress.

Their angular and determined attack harkens comparisons to the mighty Crowpath, but Antigama have their roots placed further into traditional grounds. However, this doesn't mean what they're playing is typical by any means. From the unsettling groove of "Stupid Fuck" to the minute long blast of "This Structure Is Tight", these rabid band of Polish gentlemen strive to juggle brutality while escaping from the uniformity that most people seem to gripe about with heavier music. But much like what happens in society with people striving to be different, eventually there's a bit of overlapping and even the things that go out of their way to be unique tend to conform into some certain set of recognizable material. While you might be able to distinguish Antigama from their peers, deciphering track from track would prove a tad more difficult. Things are unpredictably predictable, but still momentous at times, however I'd feel more rewarded if there were more steady and straightforward riffs like on "Who Is My Enemy" to provide more stability. When the disorder does work for them, it's absorbing. "Try" uses bright harmonics with ear-splittingly fast playing, and "Shit From Arse" keeps the chaos afloat until driving punk/hardcore rhythms and guitar dominates the song, much in the same way Converge orchestrates their music, only not as structured. "Save Copy As" is also an appreciated and effective track as it starts to fall apart in the middle and turns into a mess of crashing drums, manic screams, and ringing guitars. It's the last "real" song on the album, as the album's title track is just a few hissing and resonant sounds for nearly two minutes.

These cruel bastards did manage to fool me into thinking their CD was over seven minutes before it actually was. After nothing but silence, you're finally confronted with some of the noisiest and harshest electronic grind I've ever heard - a remix of one of Antigama's older songs. I'd love to hear a full album of this, although I'm sure I'm probably the only one who feels that way.

A fairly strong record that's bound to appease more than a few people out there. Fans of bands like Pig Destroyer, Converge, and even Cephalic Carnage will no doubt find Discomfort has quite a bit to offer, and fans of more contemporary and tech/chaotic metal will have yet another chance to hear a band that's doing something right.

Release Details

Antigama

Discomfort

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