“Give me a little space,” Jason of Facing Extinction requests. He stands off stage; the crowd is ready to kick off the Magrudergrind and Dropdead show at The Boreal in Eugene. Patient, Jason’s eyes stare into the unkempt mob as a crusty guitar carves up “Dismal Reckoning”. He brings the microphone to his lips and tilts his head back. Long hair drapes about his face and limbs already begin to whisk his straggling bangs. He belches, “Let them rot!” Bodies writhe in the traditional circle-pit fashion and revolve around a pole wrapped in Styrofoam, which leers like a monolith at the venue’s epicenter. Percussions rupture from Kellen’s kit; his glasses cling to the tip of his nose. Stop/start blasts eviscerate the track. Within seconds, a head-banging groove shreds the crowd. Shrieks and guttural grunts intoxicate this sweet moment. Sweat drizzles toward Jason’s beard, all falls silent.
This is a tried and true template of grind. Disgusting riffs breed with raucous drums and pulse with vocals that resent the system. Splash this with a hook and you have a delectable grind composition. Facing Extinction’s Tape EP is just that. It’s raw. Each instrument gnaws through the unproduced atmosphere, feasting with rabid thirst. The hardcore punk kicks on “Ex Nihilo” rip behind Austin’s gritty guitar. His nose curls above fleshy lips as shrieks wretch from beyond his pearly whites. The song then crawls. Bucky’s bass throbs and leaves blisters upon a palpitating wound covered in crust. In its wake, shrill feedback rings.
Tape EP is filthy. Songs brim with bastard feedback and riffs last a heartbeat. This is what grind listeners expect. Experiencing these cuts live resuscitates a primordial sense. Pure carnage stifles your gaze. You stare in awe at the bloodshed taking place; faces are coated in bliss. You join them. Your parts are battered, you’re beaten and hurt. The flurry lasts a handful of minutes but it’s over in a flash. You’re covered in sweat and you only hope to taste that visceral energy again.
******
Listen to and purchase Tape EP here.
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