'Satori'
With a hiatus between
albums that even Tool would find excessive, crustpunks Axegrinder
mark 29 years since their debut album 'The Rise Of The Serpent Men',
with their sophomoric effort, 'Satori'. It is a familiar story these
days with many bands from the 80s and 90s being resurrected and the
results are often mixed. However Axegrinder have definitely comeback
strong.
A more methodical and
mature sound distinguishes the new album from it's predecessor.
Elements of Prong, Conflict, Amebix and even Killing Joke rear up
from the depths. The album closely mirrors it's predecessor
structurally but the cleaner production and modern recording is
offset by dirtier guitars and more vitriolic vocals to set it apart
from their debut.
The album's opener
'61803398875' is a curveball with it's poetic spoken feminine vocals
and ambient drones giving way to dirty guitars, and ultimately the
chugging chant-a-long 'Halo (Snakes For the Breeding)', which sets
the true tone of the album. 'Rain' evokes 'Cleansing' era Prong with
it's steady industrial guitars and Paul Raven style groove. While
'The Unthinkable' strays into Killing Joke territory with Trev's
maniacal vocal delivery combined with some nice melodies cutting
through. It's a formula that serves them well and provides a strong
and accessible backbone for the entire album.
Production-wise the album is fresh and modern, with the guitars and vocals giving it the brunt of it's crustiness. But the more methodical approach and the grooves and industrial tones give it more depth beyond it's metallic-crust roots. And ultimately a broader appeal.
Production-wise the album is fresh and modern, with the guitars and vocals giving it the brunt of it's crustiness. But the more methodical approach and the grooves and industrial tones give it more depth beyond it's metallic-crust roots. And ultimately a broader appeal.
It may have been a near
thirty year wait between albums, but this is one of those cases where
it was worth the wait. The sound has picked up from where it left off
certainly, but it progresses nicely as well. It is relevant,
pissed-off and catchy throughout, and hopefully signals the start of
a lot more activity from the band as 'Satori' is a strong
(re)starting point.