Axis Of Despair

CONTEMPT FOR MAN

SOUTHERN LORD PRECISION-TOOLED GRIND IN NEED OF A FEW LOOSE SCREWS While many of Southern Lord’s acts have dabbled in the art, Contempt For Man represents a rare foray into pure grind for the label. It has to be said, though, that if you’re charging headlong into the genre then it doesn’t hurt that the band have Anders Jakobson behind the drumkit; he’s been shattering vertebrae with the likes of Coldworker, Necrony and Nasum since the early 90s, after all. It’s not all about frenzied percussion, however: Axis Of Despair deal in lean muscularity that’s designed to cause maximum damage with maximum efficiency. The riffs come thick and fast, flowing like molten metal while Joel Fornbrant’s tirelessly belligerent vocals provide shock after shock to the system. It’s a clean, clinical and utterly regimented brand of grind that doles out vicious beatings like clockwork. This perfectionism, however, also holds things slightly back – with so many grinders out there violently vying for our attention, something a bit more crazed mightn’t go amiss.

FOR FANS OF:

NASUM, HUMAN CULL, WORMROT

ALEX DELLER