Blast Worship: Convulsions

Where they from?
Spain. Things are pretty rough in Spain right now, so I’ll save all the jokes for when I write about a band from Nebraska or some shit. Like, really, can you believe people actually live there? Did you know 311 is from Omaha? Isn’t that just insane? You would think they’d be from the heart of Southern California, but, nope, fucking Nebraska.

What they sound like?
Like serious big boy grind for a world stuck inside the house.

Why the hype?
In recent years, Spain has developed a nice little grind scene that has produced a certain crop of bands creating quality music that for the most part has flown somewhat under the international radar. Madrid’s Looking For an Answer released “Dios Carne” in 2016, an album that seamed together elements of grind and old school death metal quite flawlessly before rather abruptly breaking up. That album remains critically under-appreciated at large and the band’s disbandment really left only two major players to continue to carry the torch of Spanish grind: Disturbance Project and Convulsions.

Both DP and Convulsions share commonalities: Blistering style euro-grind that tends to avoid some off the creative obstacles that their Scandinavian counterparts get entrapped by and both feature strong vocalists. One thing I love about Convulsions in particular is their brevity! They’ve released six recordings in the past four years, none of which top more than 12 minutes! Even their debut self-titled full-length from 2016 barely hits the ten minute mark. Finally, someone fucking gets what this shit is about.

Latest Release?
Split 7-inch with Insect Terror from March of 2020. This bad boy barely clocks in at four minutes, which right-off-the-bat is a huge plus in my book. After about 12 repeated listens in a row I can safely say that the material here feels a bit ‘zanier’ than anything they’ve done previously which makes it, dare I say, one of their most FUN records to date? The opening thrash riff of “Psicosistema” reminds me of Parlamentarisk Sodomi, who remain the king of madcap grind. But don’t worry, the vocals are still incredibly brutal and the band still makes time to crush you with it on album closer “Opinion Publica.” This should be good enough for you to tear your Mom’s basement apart during week 12 of quarantine.

Bandcamp