Simbiose

This is the fourth album from this Portuguese crust/punk/grind band, and it shows: this is quality stuff, easily up there with the big names of North American grind. And, really, it's a bit of an illusion – this album ends and you swear it was a full-on, blasting grindcore disc, but the beats never get to the blasting point. Instead, it's all raging crust, with a huge metal production (all bass and crash cymbals, and, man, even these teeny indies can make records sound great these days) and grind influences in the guitars and vocals. When some ominous melodies show up in a few songs, it becomes apparent that Simbiose should be, and could be, on a label like Relapse for their next disc, duking it out with the Disfears of the world and coming out victorious, maybe getting an opening slot for Napalm Death and absolutely slaying the crowds in the process. This 28-minute disc absolutely proves they could.