Where they From?
Rostock, Germany. According to Wikipedia, Rostock is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Rostock which was founded in 1419. I wonder if they did keg stands back then? Or if at the very least, they know how to make a bong out of an apple and a piece of tin foil?
What do they sound like?
Noisear meets the professional edge of Euro style grind.
Why the hype?
I’ve definitely gone on and on and on in this column about the differences between north American grindcore and the European variety, so imagine my surprise when I discovered this little unit coming from the heart of continental Europe that not only sound like American grindcore, but the BEST American grindcore. And by that I mean, Noisear and basically any other project Bryan Farjardo finds himself in nowadays. This band definitely loves it’s diminished chord progressions but unlike most of their European brethren, they do a really good job with pacing throughout their music, augmenting the sci-fi blasts with plenty of dynamics and even some atmosphere to keep the listener’s attention.
Latest Release?
Network of Epic Misery. Normally you can just play a distorted tritone over a blast beat and I will eat that shit up like it’s a birthday cake but my favorite parts on this album are actually when the band goes into full powerviolence swing like on “Digital Takeover” and “XXX Sniper” and delivers on some seriously goonish American style mosh parts. Honestly, this may be the first band I’ve heard that’s been able to transcend the boundaries of the two different cross-Atlantic styles of grindcore and in doing so have made an album that is equal parts zany, heavy and memorable. Cheers, mates.