Benumb

The only real difference between this disc and Benumb's last, the awesome Withering Strands of Hope, is that By Means Of Upheaval (the band's third) actually sounds even more raw and ready to fall apart at the seams at any given moment. Believe it, as this punishing 27-minute album is an astounding aural document of chaos, Benumb sound like they're just ready to burst out of your stereo's speakers and collapse onto your living room floor, heaving and exhausted. As before, plenty of short songs abound here (22, but who's counting?), all dished out in the band's patented power violence-meets-grindcore by way of hardcore sound. Vocalist Pete Pontikoff steals the show here, cramming in at times hilarious amounts of lyrics within seconds, always delivered with passionate and intense screaming. His lyrics are always of the political and socially aware variety, which is a welcome change from the slashing and bashing we all get used to. Nasum may be tighter, Dillinger more technical and Nile more, I dunno, Egyptian, but when it comes to unbridled rage, it's hard to touch Benumb.