Afgrund

Finnish grinders Afgrund stormed the scene last year with their Willowtip Records debut, the amazingly titled The Age of Dumb, and now they're back with an EP on indie PRC. What can really be said about a grindcore EP at this point? There are covers of Repulsion, Nasum and Discharge on this one (and on most grindcore EPs). This 19-minute release whips past in all the right ways, the band charging along with a bass-heavy, near-crust take on grind, still struggling with creating an identity of their own, but easily up there in the second tier with the likes of Mumakil, as far as crafting intense, full-speed ahead grind. And they're most likely far less concerned with creating an identity of their own than we think they are. It's not all full speed ahead though: songs like "Common Goals" do carry a killer, breakneck, Nasum-esque groove. Lyrically, Afgrund tackle social and political issues, or at least song titles like "Pharmageddon" (a deliciously sludgy tune) and "Earthrape" would have us believe they do. Nothing new under the grindcore sun this time around, but Afgrund do it well. They definitely excel in the EP format — 19 minutes, with a handful of those being cover tunes, is the perfect amount for a release this go-go-go.