There’s enough violence surrounding us in society right now, and I’ve gone on about it a lot, so let’s put that thing to the side for like 15 minutes. That’ll make sense in a second. Instead, let’s focus on audio violence, the type of music that pulls you into its grasp and takes you apart suddenly and thoroughly.
Barren Path combine former members of Gridlink and Maruta, and on their debut album “Grieving,” they decimate your senses on 12 tracks that last, combined, 13 minutes, 31 seconds. This is grindcore after all, and lengthy albums are not a part of that scene nor should they be. Unless there’s like 100 songs on there. Everything is sudden and manic as the band—vocalist Mitchell Luna, guitarists Rory Kobzina and Takafumi Matsubara, bassist Mauro Cordoba, drummer Bryan Fajardo—adds some interesting twists and turns, not the least of which is lead guitar work that’s a little flashier than what we come to expect from grind. It make this a little more electric in the midst of ferocity.
“Whimpering Echo” starts with drums splattering, Luna’s voice going back and forth from shrieks to growls in a heartbeat. The pace is maniacal, the lead guitars smoking hard, almost feeling like grind influenced by Zeppelin? “Subversion Record” has growls marring and speed jetting, the electricity peaking and ripping out guts. “Primordial Black” brings commanding guitars and the dual vocal attack striking again, creating a daring, fast tempo that dizzies. “No Geneva” attacks right away, zany leads causing confusion, the bloodthirst reaching insane levels. The howls strangle as the drums explode, zapping into oblivion. “Isolation Wound” is metallic, so much so you can taste it, and riffs then rule as a tornadic force explodes. Growls gurgle before strange speaking emerges, the final moments detonating. “The Insufferable Weight” starts in a haze before rocketing, the deep battering taking its toll early. Deep growls roll in blood as madness spills out of every corner, the guitars continuing to add to the insanity as the drums flatten.
“Relinquish” is an all-out assault, the screams maiming before the pace changes, getting no less volatile. The playing spatters as death metal-style maiming leaves permanent scarring. “The Unreliable Narrator” has pained growls, guitars swaggering and dive bombing, painting attitude all over this monster. “Celestial Bleeding” is weirdly dreamy at the start, voices echoing into a robotic warp, the call of, “Together, yet so alone,” feeling digitally isolating. “Lunar Tear” is beastly with guitars racing, the pace trucking, and just when it seems it can’t get more intense, it somehow does. Growls and shrieks team to punish you mentally, while a monstrous explosion brings the pain to an end. “Horizonless” bruises, coming at a high rate of speed, harsh vocals scraping flesh, the guitars absolutely destroying. The playing stays fiery, smashing and dusting into a weird sheen that bubbles into closer “In the End… the Gift Is Death” that guts right away. The playing is catchy, and again the leads are infectious and simmering, the pace going impossibly fast. The drums murder as the guitars carve, rampaging right into cinder blocks.
If you thought “Grieving” had any solace to offer or, comically, some breathing room, be prepared to be absolutely unprepared for this battering. Barren Path’s first foray is a scorching one, an album that you can listen to completely on a short car trip but that will leave you flattened. If this is grind’s true future, it’s in violently good hands.
For more on the band, go here: https://barrenpath.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://willowtip.com/bands/details/barren-path.aspx
For more on the label, go here: https://willowtip.com/home.aspx
Meat Mead Metal 