A few days before Halloween, Philadelphia label Horror Pain Gore Death will release a split from four of their own apocalyptic horsemen. With the equivalent of an EP from four bands with distinctly different approaches to dishing out harm, it’s both an amazing intro to the bands included, and to HPGD’s sensibility as a whole. Uncompromising, raw, dirty – pretty much any adjective that looks bad in an exit interview. But HPGD proudly underline those traits in fresh blood, while making it the label’s mission to cater to “fans of sick and vile underground metal.” Below, take a time out from whatever boring bullshit is in the way of extreme awesomeness and check out new tracks from Toxicology, Skuz, Triple Cripple, and Ground.
Jersey upstarts Toxicology only need 66 seconds to grind us up and churn us into chum in “Transparent Agenda.” Their agenda is simple: Do everything that made Napalm Death’s crusty Scum assault an extreme landmark, and apologetically bludgeon listeners a minute at a time.
Also from NJ, Skuz are raw death/grind with a mean streak and a punk edge that blends seamlessly with their old school stomp. Somewhere between Coffins and the frenzied death-punk Acephalix splash out of their amps, “Drenched in Gore” is a tasty treat.
Triple Cripple never met a blastbeat they didn’t like. Joining grind with brutal death, “50 Miles on Crutches” rips with urgency and energy, snarling and belching towards its fiery conclusion. Like Birdflesh, they smirk through splatters of blood and other unidentified body fluids while delivering the grimy goods.
Ground round out the split with six tracks of pit-ready hardcore grind/powerviolence in their HPGD debut. Get ready to spazz out and throw down as these Jersey mosh merchants conjure the tireless adrenaline of Magrudergrind and bury you six feet deep.