Starting off with murmuring samples and a slow-building clatter of drums is perhaps a misleadingly arty introduction for what turns out to be a blasting bout of old-school grind worship, these Russians belting it out in a manner akin to Assück, Righteous Pigs, Terrorizer or a simplified, punkier Bolt Thrower. The guitar sound is admirably thick, the vocals an exhausted roar and the drums barely seem to stop for the album’s 30 minute duration, and while this is all enjoyable enough it can become a touch monochromatic after a while. There are moments that offset this (the dissonance of ‘Legitimate Genocide’, the brief, cavernous ambience of ‘Downfall’ or the way the aforementioned intro bleeds into second track ‘Under Surveillance’) and I think it’d be nice to see these elements explored in greater detail next time around. Until then, though, what they’re doing is certainly enjoyable if blunt-force, no-nonsense grind is what you seek.
