Where they from?
Chicago. Chi-town, Brick City, ostensibly the setting of half of Wayne’s World and Tommy Boy. Home of the Blues Brothers, Michael Jordan and… wait a minute, I just looked it up and Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn? My god, I feel like my whole life has been a lie. Next thing you’ll tell me is that Ted Cruz is actually Canadian…wait…WHAT???!?? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??!?!
Why the hype?
It’s really incredibly rare when a mince band sets out to achieve something more than just sounding really shitty on purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I love mince, I have spent many an hour wasting away to Agathocles seemingly endless discography, but I’m just saying that most of the bands who fall under the micro-umbrella off the mince movement tend to be content wallowing in their boneheaded sound, a necessary reprieve from some of the more hyper-serious aspects of grindcore, but a pursuit that never really strives for anything much beyond its own confines.
But not Gastropod. Sure, this band loooooves their ignorant caveman stomps as much as any mincers, but they do so while incorporating a certain surreality into some of the guitar riffs that at times (stay with me here) can remind me of Discordance Axis. Which reminds me…
Latest Release?
Me Gusta Lo Verde. Holy shit they do a cover of “The Inalienable Dreamless”! And not only that, but they do it incredibly well! I’ve featured a lot of bands in this column who have done D. Axis covers, but this might be my favorite one. The band covers the tune flawlessly, a truly titanic achievement due to the somewhat esoteric nature of Discordance Axis (good luck finding actual legitimate guitar tabs for that band). More, please.
