Fall of 2013 is upon us, and grindcore fans are abuzz about a legendary band's long-awaited return. No, not those guys - I'm talking about Exhumed, whose newest album Necrocracy eases off the accelerator, especially when compared to the relentless ear drilling of All Guts No Glory. I don't know, I kind of like relentless ear drilling; but the more measured pace allows the riffs to breathe, and shows that Exhumed can do twin guitar harmonics as well as anyone. Even if it's likely to be overshadowed by the new Carcass album, this is a solid addition to Exhumed's already exemplary discography. The album is available as a digital download for $11.99.
One band that shares my love for relentless ear drilling is Infanticide. Though they're from Sweden, Misconception of Hope is a far cry from the grooves of Nasum or General Surgery; expect pure savagery akin to the last Lock Up and Terrorizer albums. Throwing 19 songs at the listener in under 20 minutes, Infanticide balances songwriting with grindcore fundamentals nicely. The album is available as a digital download for $8.99.
As far as career retrospectives go, Doom's 25 Years of Crust is truth in advertising - this is subwoofer-ravaging biker punk spanning the Brummies' entire career. Diehards will already have most of the the material on here, but this is a perfect primer for a latecomer like me. The compilation is available as a "name your price" download through Bandcamp, as well as a free download from Moshpit Tragedy.
Madrid's Teething come highly recommended by Exhumed's Matt Harvey, who recently endorsed them based on their "unbridled, HM-2 fueled savagery." Not much I can add to that, except that their side of the split with Finland's Ravage Ritual is available as a free download.
