Review of Murder Construct - Self Titled

Murder Construct is a West Coast super group grind project featuring Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation), Leon del Muerte (Exhumed, Intronaut, Impaled), Kevin Fetus (Watch Me Burn, Fetus Eaters), Caleb Schneider (Bad Acid Trip) and Danny Walker (Exhumed, Uphill Battle, Intronaut, Jesu, Bastard Noise, Phobia ). And the result is what you’d expect – a furious seventeen minute grindcore assault based around Ryan’s robust vocals and the musicianship of several talented veterans of extreme music.

With Cattle Decapitation delving into sickly sludgy throes, Impaled turning into a more melodic Carcass-worshiping power house and Intronaut’s bluesy post-rock brilliance (I can’t really speak for Watch Me Burn or Bad Acid Trip), Murder Construct allows the more high-profile members to unleash their recently repressed brutal side as Murder Construct’s salvoes are pure but modern-tinged grindcore filled with Napalm Death-ish power chords and grooves, and on par with drummer Danny Walker’s full time band, But it remains to be seen if this side project can yet be compared to those legendary bands in the long term despite the promise of this EP. However, all things indicate that, if this develops into a long-term project, it could be special.

Ryan dominates the sound with his festering, snot- and drool-filled roars and is less focused on social-political commentary and more with vocal savagery. Ranging from 1 to 3 minutes, the songs are perfectly timed salvos with no 10-second burps or overly drawn-out or experimental numbers (though there are a couple of tiny slivers of ambiance). From blistering then lumbering opener “Control”, through the sick jaunt of “No Savior” and the devastating “I am That” to closer “Submission”, the material is about as perfectly executed grindcore as there is, melding furious yet catchy blasts and decimating grooves in violent harmony, but that should not be a surprise considering the talent involved. The production is also of note, with a beefy but clean tone that seems to cull from all the bands members' collective projects.

With Relapse trying desperately to fill Mastodon’s shoes, it's great to see the label still kicking out some quality grindcore with Murder Construct being their second top-notch grindcore supergroup EP, along with Criminal Element’s Crime and Punishment.

Release Details

Murder Construct

Self Titled

Comments

Related