Transient

There's some scuzzy, crust-inflected grindcore from Portland on tap here, with all the screeching female vocals you'd expect, care of one Krysta Martinez, who also handles screaming duties for Landmine Marathon now. But here it's uglier, grindier, faster and punkier: "Pythia Misunderstood?" demonstrates the group's love for simple, stupid punk, while "Positivism" taps into the sludge vein they occasionally mine, before launching into some weirdo avant-grind riffing. The production hits that sweet spot between raw and crystal clear, with the bass shining through as loud as the treble. It's an interesting and rare combination that suits this mix of slightly off-kilter yet very familiar grind just right. Wrap it all up in a power violence package, courtesy of the much-respected label's history, and you've got a very good release, one that isn't legendary or for the ages just yet, being as forgettable as it is enjoyable, but it's only their debut.