Feature: 10 Deep Cuts From the Christian Grind Underground to Check Out
There’s just something about grindcore that fascinates me; truly, it is a genre that satisfies like nothing else does in the heavy metal world, with its blistering micro-noise explosions, chaotic anti-structures, and cathartic energy releases. Just like the secular grind scene, the Christian one obviously has its classics – records like Skin Stripper by Vomitorial Corpulence, Neoblasphemies by Frank’s Enemy, and even modern standouts like Hospital Lens by Pulpit Vomit. But there’s a whole swirling mass of bands deep within the Christian grind underground just waiting to be discovered, bands that are decidedly esoteric even within a genre already as polarizingly extreme as this one. And frankly, it’s just too enjoyable to not want to mine a genre’s murkier, more forgotten corners and bring out some treasures. And in an era so saturated with modern, processed music, it’s refreshing to hear bands like this who deliberately go out of their way to sound as raw and immediate as possible.
Here, I’ve done the digging for you and brought back ten searing blasts of grind from the furthest reaches of the underground, for your listening enjoyment. Though this isn’t an attempt at a definitive list, it’s meant to provide a solid glimpse of the world below the iceberg of Christian grindcore, and showcase bands that otherwise might languish in obscurity. I’ve tried to give a good cross-section of a variety of grind styles as well, so here you’ll find noisecore, powerviolence, goregrind, death/grind and everything else in between. Without further ado…
Writhe – Writhe
Short but utterly sweet, this lone release hits like a sledgehammer to the teeth with its mix of grind and powerviolence stylings (third track “Malice” even hints at a little black metal influence). Beginning with ear-splitting feedback, sole man behind the band Sam Dishington wastes no time in proceeding to level everything in sight with chainsaw-toned guitars and blood-flecked roars. It’s all over in less than 6 minutes, like nothing ever happened. Fans of NAILS and Rotten Sound will eat this up if they haven’t already. This caustic little EP absolutely rips like few others; what a tragedy the act fizzled out before becoming the next big thing in the Christian underground.
Check out Writhe’s Bandcamp HERE.
Grave Defier – Arise From Your Grave
California’s Grave Defier sole full-length sounds at first like an old-school death metal act, unafraid of flashy guitar solos and possessed of some ultra-guttural Luke Renno/Marco Pérez-style vocals. But it’s the raw production, sapped of all muscle and left with nothing but lean and mean distortion, as well as the clattering drum work, that pushes this record firmly into death/grind territory. The hilariously-titled “Tribute to Cookie Monster,” a one-second blast of Vomitorial Corpulence-like noise, is a must listen.
Check it out HERE.
Saul of Tarsus – Road to Damascus
Grimy, rancid and abrasive as it gets, Saul of Tarsus occupy the punkier-edge of the Christian grindcore world. Featuring members of death/thrash act Wicked’s End, Saul of Tarsus Road to Damascus almost throttles the listener, veering wildly between hardcore and crust punk, thrash, powerviolence and chaotic grind influences with total abandon; heck, it even begins with a string section! The high-pitched snarls and shrieks might not be to everyone’s tastes, but there’s no denying the visceral thrill of the music on this little EP. For fans of bands like Full of Hell, Spazz, Charles Bronson, and Chaos Christ.
Check it out at SkyBurnsBlack Records, HERE.
God’s Way – Matança
This could be the deepest underground cut on here, and that’s saying something. The first iteration of Christian goregrind act Carkemis (who would later seem to leave their faith behind when they morphed into Harmony Fault), God’s Way released only one EP before changing their name, and what an EP it is. Beginning with some pretty disturbing noise, what follows is total carnage that some will find unlistenable, and others will find fascinating. Some of the more traditional metal fans amongst you might be scratching your heads wondering why on earth anyone would ever like this, but for those into the style and willing to do a deep dive into it, this demo is quite a find. Nothing about it is palatable at all, with most of it constituted by overdriven distortion, shrieks, roars, and frantic pinging snares, but when it comes to grindcore, that’s a good thing. Few will be able to stomach this caustic blast of blackened grind, but those who can will be in for a terrifying ride.
Listen to the demo HERE.
Fleshdeath – Demo 2009
White-noise freakouts and amps overdriven to the point of probably smoking are what you’re going to get with this lone release from Fleshdeath, a two-man grind outfit that I first stumbled upon in a Youtube video compilation of Christian grind back in the day. There’s very little information out there about these guys at all, but for the curious, I found out that it was actually comprised of members of unblack metal act O, Majestic Winter; not only that, but one member (Max Tubville) used to play bass for a brief time in iconic slam act Abated Mass of Flesh. Unpleasant in a good way, Fleshdeath’s sole demo release is grind designed to erase the eardrums entirely in sheets of glorious feedback and static.
Listen to the demo HERE.
Incisão – Ouça o Barulho dos Vermes ao Devorarem as Repugnantes Carcaças Espalhadas pelo Inferno
Beyond obscure, I stumbled across the Brazilian grind act almost inadvertently, and I was glad I did. Like Antidemon’s unhinged cousin, Incisão’s only release that I can find is what you get when you combine those inhaled bark vocals of Antidemon’s Batista with the sound of a five car pileup. Nuts doesn’t quite cover this one, especially when it almost segues into reggae territory before collapsing in on itself. If you’re a fan of Antidemon, this band’s raw death/grind will be right up your alley, especially for those who wished Antidemon was more chaotic sounding.
Check it out HERE.
Zadok – Demo Tape 1994
Puerto Rican grinders Zadok (which featured members who would later form another grindcore act called The Right Wing Conspiracy) started releasing material in 1992 (making them very possibly the first Christian grindcore act!), but their 1994 demo managed to collect all their material rather nicely on to one album. Thin and raw, its brittle violence is overlaid with the kind of burly vocal stylings of Lee Dorrian (former vocalist of Napalm Death, later of doom metallers Cathedral), and somehow, despite its demo quality, it all works.
Give it a listen HERE.
No Return to My Vomit – Destroy Babylons System
Fire (of Elgibbor, Frost Like Ashes, Fire Throne, Katumus, et. al.) normally plays unblack metal par excellence, but also fronted a goregrind act with fellow drummer of Fire Throne, Unblasphemer. To say that this short release is extreme is like saying that it’s a bit uncomfortable to put your hand into a boiling furnace. Imagine Fire Throne’s demo material put through a goregrind filter – the vocals are heinous, overdriven roars that almost entirely dominate the music, and will send most listeners running for the hills (though the guy behind Reconstructed Carcass was obviously listening and taking notes); that said, it’s remained a cult classic for a reason.
Listen to it HERE.
Abandoned Mortuary – Emotional Wasteland
Abandoned Mortuary, a solo project of Gergely Kovács (notably also behind unblack act Irgalom) is a band that never seems to show up much in extreme metal discussions, at least from what I can see, and It’s time that changed. Leaning towards the heavier-end of death/grind, Abandoned Mortuary is what you get when you want to know what classic Mortification might have sounded like if they had gone in a more grindcore-influenced direction. The project has released many albums (including one 17 minute long single entitled “Lamentation”) that veer between death metal and grindcore influences in varying proportions. Though Pearls Before Swine’s litany of mini-death metal anthems (most of which fall under the 1-minute mark), the projects first album, Emotional Wasteland has an infectious rawness in the vocal work and a more frantic, punkish delivery on it that pushes it ahead of the pack. Fans of Nasum might enjoy this one.
You can listen to it at the artist’s own record label Bandcamp HERE.
Necroscopia Burial – We Are the Bibles that the World is Reading…We are the Sermons that the World is Watching
It’s hard to not be curious about a band with a name and album title as we have here, plastered on to an iconic picture of evangelist Billy Graham; there was just absolutely no way for me to not want to check this one out. With such incredible song titles like “Anxiety Is The Natural Result Of Centering Our Hopes On Anything Less Than God” and “You’ll Never Understand Who You Are Until You Understand Who God Is,” it’s almost a shame that this record is entirely composed of noisecore. The histrionic, almost animalistic vocals, clanging drums and walls of fuzzed-out distortion make it virtually impossible to discern the lyrics (let alone the riffs, but rest assured, they are there), but in my view, the titles pretty much suffice in this context (and the soundbites from sermons help, too). Necroscopia Burial’s noise/grind is on the furthest edge of extreme metal, but for those who prefer art and style over structure and technical skill, this will fit the bill nicely. For fans of Demonic Dismemberment, God’s Way, and even the insane unblack metal stylings of Verdelger.
The daring can brave a listen HERE, and find digital copies HERE.
About Author
