BUMP ’N’ GRINDCORE

MAGRUDERGRIND

II Following a six-year hiatus, grindcore trio Magrudergrind return with their anticipated Relapse debut, II. But it’s like no time has passed for the Washington, D.C. band (now based out of Brooklyn); the album is a natural progression from their 2009 self-titled effort. Once again working with Converge’s Kurt Ballou, II features 15 vicious tracks that embody Magrudergrind’s extreme, caustic sound, which incorporates elements of powerviolence and hardcore punk into a traditional grind approach. Each track is a blazing fast race to the finish line amidst abrasive riffs and pummelling drums; tracks like “Imperium In Imperio” and “The Opportunist” are particularly intense and urgent. The vocals are as harsh and angst-ridden as ever, with powerful lyrical content to match, taking on political and social issues. Magrudergrind still maintain all of the vitriol and chaos that characterized their previous material, but it’s clear they have matured. It all amounts to the band’s most focused LP yet. (Relapse, relapse.com)

THIS ISN’T YOUR SECOND ALBUM, YET YOU TITLED IT II. DID THE BAND GO

THROUGH A REBIRTH OF SORTS?

Vocalist Avi Kulawy: Yeah, I think so. I think we really figured out who we were with the self-titled [album], and we found a real identity, a mature identity. I started the band when I was like 16 years old and I was always influenced by fastcore and powerviolence, and as we matured we went more towards the traditional grindcore route.

WHAT IS THIS ALBUM ABOUT, LYRICALLY?

I always try to let the reader kind of figure out, dig into and discover what I’m truly talking about. I have very strong political, social and anti-religious ideas that I don’t necessarily want to impose on other people. So the lyrics kind of touch on all those different topics. Some are more upfront and not really cryptic, like we have a song about gay marriage and gay rights, and it’s basically talking about how homophobia is rampant within our judicial system in the U.S. Others are more ambiguous and cryptic, but I want people to dig in and understand and do research to figure out what the hell I’m talking about. DENISE FALZON