Milligram has got to be one of the most criminally underrated bands of recent times. A widely available debut EP (on Hydra Head subsidiary Tortuga) which showcased their burgeoning ability to thoroughly rock the shit out of you in an entertaining if unremarkable manner rather overshadowed its infinitely superior follow-up, ‘This Is Class War’. Initially released guerrilla-fashion, all CDR burns and limited handstamped digipaks, before being picked up by Smallstone, it was the true pinnacle of human endeavour towards the melding of noise to melody, distorted to fuck, crazed time changes and pure rock fury. Such volatility had to spell the end of the band, and the members scattered to the four winds.
But instead of dwelling on the past (which I could have wallowed in further if I’d bothered to mention singer Jonah Jenkins’ other similarly ignored outfits Only Living Witness and Miltown), JJ has forged ahead with a new combo. Whilst definitely being something of a step backwards in terms of musical development, there’s a marvellous single-mindedness about these four tracks, all urgent and wayward, massive chords slamming into each other with wanton abandon. Jonah Jenkins always had a fine set of pipes on him, but he’s traded in his trademark sung vocal lines for one of the best roars this side of the Serengeti.
‘Lack of Fire Discipline’ kicks shit off in scattered and deliciously heavy fashion, with our man J yelling “DO NOT THROW GRENADES UPSTAIRS!” at the end. I have no fucking clue what that means, but I love the sentiment. ‘Rupture Process’ opens like a craw-hammer to the stomach, although that one does seem to lose direction midway. ‘Truckloads Of Ammunition’ positively swings like Poe’s razor pendulum, a frightening waltz-time crusher of a chromatic riff collapsing in on itself by song’s end with a death-march to hell, downtuned to match. A Discharge cover (‘Tomorrow Belongs To Us’) seals the deal. A completely cleansing blast from beginning to end.