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When I hit ‘play’ on Stop the Chaos, the new EP from Polish grinders Antigama, my first thought was: “This sounds like Burnt By the Sun.” The comparison may sound off-base at first, given that Burnt By the Sun was a metalcore band.
But the connection between grind and the good (read: noisy) kind of metalcore goes well beyond the –core suffix. Burnt By the Sun’s rhythm section came directly from the death/grind band Human Remains. UK-grinders Napalm Death released a split EP with Coalesce back in 1997 and have another one coming out with Converge (another influence here) later this year. And many of Antigama’s contemporaries draw noticeably on the metalcore milieu—Fuck the Facts, Sulaco, Trap Them, and even Napalm Death themselves.
This influence has grown in importance over Antigama’s 12-year career. The band has developed from a conventional grind act into the tritone-obsessed unit that released 2009’s excellent Warning. Stop the Chaos sees this evolution reach its apotheosis. Like early Pig Destroyer, Antigama now crams metalcore tropes into dense bursts. The title cut builds a mathy rhythm into a whole string of gnarled riffs, and then disappears before the 3-minute mark. “Intricate Trap” features a more overt metalcore nod—a chugging two-chord breakdown.
I usually think that grind works best in the EP Format. But at just 15 minutes, Stop the Chaos left me wanting more. Both Antigama and their core-suffixed source material remain incredibly vibrant.
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HEAR STOP THE CHAOS
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Antigama – “The Law”
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BUY STOP THE CHAOS
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“But at just 15 minutes”
I think it was Teddy Patterson (more Burnt By The Sun) who said he’d rather you hit Play again at the end of a short album than hit Stop halfway through an overly long one.
Burnt By The Sun rules like none other. *Be’s checking Antigama out* Good write up.
For those who are interested, Stop the Chaos is now available on Selfmadegod’s Bandcamp: http://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/stop-the-chaos
this album rips, but the cover art makes me never want to listen to it. looks like late-’90s electronica-influenced rock, i.e., the worst unintended connotation you could ever give a grindcore album.
but it DOES rip hard.
Agreed. This one took me by surprise, and is a very tight, focused assault. More abrasive than Fuck The Facts et al.
made me think of my xbox. it would be more brootal if it were blinking red, sure to induce rage
Saw these guys 3 years ago on their 1st US tour on the way to MDF with Complete Failure @ this Polish sports bar. The turnout was pretty small but Antigama fucking ripped, all the while a cheesy Powerpoint slideshow of metal trivia was playing behind them.
Sometimes cover art really grabs you. And then sometimes it is almost screaming at you to ignore the contents.
Another great record from Antigama! Cover is sh**#@ but music is really amazing!