It’s pretty exciting when a fresh band starts to catch on, gathers momentum, and starts to ride the wave of that success into hopefully becoming a self-sustaining venture and building a wider audience. Last year, Escuela Grind had that kind of adventure, making a huge impact with listeners on their great “Memory Garden” LP that still feels like it has some fuel left in the tank.
On the cusp of a U.S. headlining tour that is the result of that momentum, the band is releasing its “DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL” EP that follows 2020 mini releases “PPOOWWEERRVVIIOOLLEENNCCEE” and “GGRRIINNDDCCOORREE” as ways to pay tribute to the subgenres that helped shape their mix of grind, death metal, and chaos. Over four tracks, we hear the gnarliest, grimiest yet from this band—vocalist Katerina Economou, guitarist Kris Morash, bassist Tom Sifuentes, drummer Jesse Fuentes. There’s also a special guest to howl along with Economou, but we’ll get to that later. This is a fun collection, one that batters you and pushes your face into the dirt, but it also makes sure you have a good time. Which you will, even if you’re left bruised and bloodied afterward.
“Ball and Chain” trudges and smothers, immediately cluing you into the sonic differences on this EP, which is a nice, nasty changeup. The playing is muddy and heavy, and Economou’s growls are gnarlier than before, helping smash through psyches. The weight crushes and squeezes air from your lungs, leading into “Punishment Ritual” that is bruising and thrashing. Deep growls slice under the fingernails while the drums blast, and the leads cut back, drawing blood. The band then launches into a speedy assault, smearing to a furious end. “Abyssal Plane” is molten and clobbering, a filthy dose of death that ripples with ringing feedback and marring sludge. Shrieks jab as the pace slows but maintains its level of brutality, the guitars slice to bone, and a torturous end buries your face in the dust. Closer “Meat Magnet” features Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway howling alongside Economou, destroying with blinding force. The drums smash, and trudging hell is achieved, a grimy and sinewy blast that bashes in brains, especially when both Greenway and Economou wail the title repeatedly, burning that vision into your mind as you choke on its exhaust.
“DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL” is a fun mini release, the fitting third serving of their EP triptych that’s as mangling and brutal as anything they’ve released. Sure, it gives them more fodder for their upcoming tour and keeps our appetites whetted as we await the follow-up to “Memory Garden,” but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t fill your gut. These four tracks are crushers and could get our mouth bloodied live.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/escuelagrind/
To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://mnrkheavy.com/products/escuela-grind-ddeeaatthhmmeettaall-glow-in-the-dark-vinyl-ep
Or here (Canada): https://mnrkheavy-canada.com/collections
Or here (Europe): https://mnrkheavy.eu/collections/escuela-grind/products/escuela-grind-ddeeaatthhmmeettaal-glow-in-the-dark-green-vinyl
For more on the label, go here: https://mnrkheavy.com/
Meat Mead Metal 