The Batlord

Many say that The Black Dahlia Murder aren't really deathcore, and as far as sounding like Suicide Silence this is obviously correct, but they are most certainly a founding band of the genre, even if they're kinda proto-deathcore. Like The Red Chord they are a stripped down version of death metal crossed with 90's hardcore and metalcore, but throw in a truckload of melodic death metal to make everything more fun.

With the death metal influence everything is satisfying brutal, and definitely more bitchin' than a lot of their later material; with the hardcore/metal influence the **** is way immediate and ****ing rips like a mofo; and the At the Gates riffs are just a ****load of fun, making the album catchy and catchy and catchy. There isn't a whole lot of variety here, but since we're talking about an amalgamation of death metal and hardcore that's kind of to be expected. Whatevs.

As is usual with deathcore the vocals aren't the best, but as with the best deathcore they have a heavy dose of energy to make up for it. I'm still not the singer's biggest fan, but having seen him live I'll say that he's a beast of a performer.

As one of the progenitors of deathcore this album shows much promise, even though much of that promise would be squandered by a ****show of ****ty bands. Regardless, this album rules and rips and is raucous.

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Trollheart

I know. I just like your writing. You could write about, and rip on, jazz or prog or disco and I'd still read it. You're not getting rid of me that easy. That my chair over there? Why's there a plug on it? Hmm. Well, can't worry about that now - thanks man! I was feeling quite warm: that bucket of cold water you just threw over me was very refresh ----

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innerspaceboy

Glad to have you back, Bat. One of my wife's RP characters is a vampire, musician, and former lover of The Black Dahlia. (I married a total nerd.)

But that's the closest I get to deathcore. Still, I absolutely loved Carcass' Heartwork LP as well as Extreme Noise Terror's performance at the Brits in '92. So I dabble now and again in metal territory.

Cheers!

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The Batlord

Holy ****, you like Heartwork! I love that goddamn album to the nines! I haven't listened to that much Extreme Noise Terror but am a fan of many of their early grindcore contemporaries. A very surprising intersection of interests.

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innerspaceboy

You will totally love my tale of why I dig them

I think it was the third or fourth asylum I was dropped off at (most of the 90s are a blur of hospital food and patients stealing my underwear). As usual, during admission all of my CDs, cassettes, art, literature, (and I suppose VHS tapes were I to have any in tow), were seized and reviewed to determine whether or not they were permissible within the rubber-walled unit. I remember Bush's Sixteen Stone CD being confiscated because the words, "Kill a man... I kill a girl" appeared among Gavin's nonsensically random lyrics in the booklet.

So, being locked away for years without music, I eventually worked my way up to the behavior level where I was permitted to use a boom box, (with C-batteries - cords are dangerous). I perused the hospital CD shelf curious to see what sanctioned music I might enjoy. That's when I spotted it.

It must have been snuck onto the shelf by a former patient, or perhaps by the bullet-headed Primus loving counselor who did donuts on the lawn in his jeep. But there it was - Carcass' Heartwork on the hospital CD shelf.

Holy sh*t it was amazing. I made sure to sneak it home when I was released years later, and still have it as a memento of the discovery.

Good times.

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The Batlord

That's way better than the Carcass story I have. I just heard about the band somewhere and listened to them on Youtube. Is that the only Carcass album you've heard? Do you know anything more about grindcore?

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innerspaceboy

Not a thing, but I'd certainly entertain any suggestions you had to offer. It looks like Terrorizer and Pig Destroyer are really up there, and that Carcass' Symphonies of Sickness from '89 is worth some attention.

I know every word from Heartwork from start to finish. If you've got some other work you think I might dig, lay it on me.

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Tristan_Geoff

Lol next we'll find out he's a huge Kyuss fan and he found them from the one summer he spent doped up on heroine in a SF commune.

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The Batlord

Heartwork really has nothing to do with grindcore. Carcass never released the same album twice and while their first two albums were grindcore (more or less like Extreme Noise Terror), and their third album was death metal, Heartwork (album number four) was what is now called melodic death metal.

I guess if I was gonna give you a Heartwork-esque album (it's surprisingly unique in metal given its immense influence), then At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul is the best. I'd put it over Heartwork in a second tbh. If you want an example of one of my top 10 metal albums then here you go.




But more actual grindcore would be...









And for an actual grindcore Carcass album...

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innerspaceboy

My podcast co-host is a gutterpunk who lives on stoner/doom/and sludge metal. There will be plenty of Boris, Earth, Sleep, Sunn O))), etc on the show. He's playing a show this weekend loaded with freeform drone analog and electronic noise. (Of COURSE he is. What ELSE would he be doing?)

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