Brutal Truth

The 1992 debut of NYC grind kings Brutal Truth still sounds amazing, as this cool reissue proves. Unlike so much modern grind and death, the raw production allows the imperfections to shine through, particularly in Scott Lewis's hysterically fast blast beats, which get off time (see "Stench of Profit"), but it only adds to these songs, which are memorable without being simple or catering in any way. I mean, opening song (after an intro that's actually good!)"Birth of Ignorance" has been stuck in my head for 18 years. Elsewhere, the band explore slow sludge ("Time") and blasting quickies ("Blockhead"), to much success. This reissue adds most (but not all, grrr!) of the band's Perpetual Conversion EP, as well as some unreleased S.O.B. covers and the Ill Neglect seven-inch, all of which are even noisier, grindier and more experimental than the album itself. The splash sticker promises an in-depth interview with vocalist Kevin Sharp in the liner notes, but it's a quick Q&A (where "grindcore" is repeatedly spelt as two words, making me think my dad copyedited the damn thing), which nevertheless provides some fun reading. There could have been more in the booklet, and the missing EP song is puzzling (the original album's joke bonus track is also missing, for those paying extremely close attention). But the inclusion of the videos from the album, including the infamous "Collateral Damage" clip, also included here in a slowed-down form for our "enjoyment," almost make up for it. Pretty good reissue; damn amazing album.