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POISON WIND – Virus! – REVIEW

As we inch closer to shows opening back up and the year anniversary of Covid shutting everything thing down in the first place, we actually starting to see new  projects and albums come emerge from this rather bleak period of time. Poison Wind bills itself as a “Quarantine Band.” The group was formed in the earlier stages of the pandemic by Brian Magar (Cultic, The Owls ANWTS) who brought together some of his musician friends from other groups to remotely compose and record 8 tracks which would become “Virus!” Mager laid down the groundwork with the drum tracks then passed the recording off to the rest of the group who supplied the guitars, bass and vocals. The band did not know who or which members they were working with at any time

With such a unique method of recording it has captured an extreme metal album the encompasses many different elements ranging from Doom, Sludge, Black, Death, Grind and even some Thrash elements. The songs themselves riff of the chaos that has been the last year with such titles as, “Branch Covidians,” “Get me out,” and “Wear a Fucking Mask!”

All of this adds up to a satisfying listen full of diversity ,some killer experimentation and good ol’ fashioned cooped up quarantine fury. More than a novelty album, this is proof something good can come out of a lockdown.

 

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CRISISACT – Turn It Off – REVIEW

It’s refreshing to see that we are getting some good things out of this never ending pandemic. Since no one is touring for the time being, many of our beloved musicians have been able to make the most out of a shitty situation and focus their time and talent on side projects that may have otherwise never seen the light of day. 

 

Crisisact was formed by members of Psycroptic, Revocation and King Parrot, so going in you know the level of musicianship is going to be top notch. Although Crisisact is a little more stripped down than the founders’ fulltime gigs, this album still manages to stand firmly on it’s own merits. Crisisact’s debut release pulls no punches, coming in strong, fast and dirty. With 11 tracks and only about 10 minutes of playtime, this ferocious fury of old school grind/death metal hits hard and leaves a mark. 

 

While the hooks and grooves are rather simple considering the guys playing them, they are catchy as hell. This album is equally groovy as it is grindy. The title track, “Turn It Off,” is an excellent opener that perfectly showcases Crisisact’s sound. The band even managed to make a music video for “The Dog in me Unleashed,” which is definitely worthy of a 1 minute trip to Youtube.

 

“Turn It Off,” is pure crusty chaos peppered with elements of grindcore, hardcore and some good old fashioned tried and true punk rock for an intense listen that may lead to permanent neck damage. 

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FUMIGATED – Composted Album Review

Both bands for this month’s reviews are from Ohio. Ever been there? It can be fucking brutal. Fumigated are just your average group of no good illiterate rednecks from the swamps of Lima, Ohio. (and here you thought the cast of Glee were the only notable musicians from that area)

If you like your music crusty, nasty and covered in piss then this is the album for you. Composted is an excellent name for this album as it feels like it is a trashy blend of early grind and death metal, it reminds me of many of the early Earache recordings. Let’s start off with the vocals. I’m not even sure it’s human. My best guess is that it is some sort of pig gargling bleach mixed with broken glass. Seriously, they are fucking sick! This along with blast beats and some early Carcass Reek of Putrefaction sounding riffs give Fumigated a really killer debut album. This band still has plenty of room to grow from here and it will be exciting to see where they take it next.

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Metal Detector Finds: FUMIGATED – “Composted”

Here we have Death/Grind band Fumigated from Lima, Ohio, USA with their debut, Composted. It’s a fun little album, for sure.

“Formed in the pungent depths of a Ohio swamp, three of the toughest illiterate rednecks banded together to form the most important band of your puny, pathetic life. FFO, Broken Hope, Immortal Fate, Old Napalm Death, room temperature beer.
WARNING! Not for week pencil necked losers!”
-Fumigated Bandcamp Page