Labels: Awesome Mosh Power
Review by: Alex Deller
Generally try to avoid the whole ex-members-of lark when I can as it’s a bit of a cop-out, but in this instance I feel justified: Earth Federation features Hevi, former Corrupted vocalist, wrecking his voice once again and teaming up with Shinji from legendary grinders 324. Pleasingly, it all rather sounds like Hevi from Corrupted fronting 324, which means dense, incessant, struggle-to-breathe grindcore with bowel-churning vocals. There are three songs, all in Japanese, all inspired by manga or anime. Oh, they’re also all rather good.
Bodybag (ex-Machetazo, making this a reunion of sorts) also grind, but plump for a muckier, murkier sound. Truthfully it’s not a million miles away from Machetazo, rumbling and gurgling ably away in amiable fashion. Their lyrics are gloomily morbid and tinged with a sense of the supernatural rather than anything overtly gory, and the vibe they lend things helps round off a solid side of death-grind that’s enjoyable in its own right if no sonic match for the Japanese contingent on the flip.