Teethgrinder – Nihilism (2016)

Elevating the definition of musical violence to the nth power, today we have Teethgrinder from the Netherlands and their crushing Grindcore/Brutal Death Metal music. Delivering nine pummeling tracks, this release rivals Anaal Nathrakh’s “The Whole of the Law” for the most mercilessly brutal release of 2016.

The band preps the listener with the dissonant sounds of the deranged intro track “Sommambulant”, a piece that somewhat describes the madness that is about to take place in this release. Shit gets instantly real with the violent screams of “The Soil has a Thirst for Blood”, a track that is both intense and punishing thanks to the killer drums and ravaging riffs. We particularly enjoy the sporadic audio clips inserted on tracks like “Isolation” and “Pale Flowers”, which remind us a bit of the song intros Macabre uses.

Showcasing the band’s musical versatility, tracks like “The Pain Exceeds the Fear” feature some interesting Black Metal-ish elements in the riffing style. Other songs have a certain Punk/Crust vibe to them like the hyper fast “Force Fed Ideologies”, and more mellow levels of brutality like “Sicarius”. This variety of styles and influences greatly makes Teethgrinder standout as they are not a simple one-tricky pony type of band, but rather a more complex and destructive outfit.

Closing with the ferocious Deathcore-esque “Bit the Hand that Feeds”, the band leaves the listeners completely flabbergasted by their smartly crafted brutality in this more melodic piece. Overall, “Nihilism” is one of those releases that while punishing and demoralizing, you can’t stop listening over and over again. If you are always for the quest of the most brutal and most crushing music you can find, it is time that you meet Teethgrinder and their latest opus.

Label: LifeForce Records

Release: November 18th, 2016

Genre: Grindcore

Country: Netherlands