Whorecore - Protection

Terrible band name, but thankfully the sound doesn’t match! Whorecore plays neither, say, swoop-do’d metalcore nor gore-grind, as the name might imply. Instead, this Israeli outfit rolls out death/grind like Belgian bands Leng Tch’e and Aborted, with plenty of half-speed grooves amid the requisite blasting. In fact, Svencho of these two groups has joined Whorecore on vocals. How band practice will work with members in Tel Aviv and Ghent is beyond me, but supposedly a new album is forthcoming this year.

In the meantime, the band has released its debut full-length, Protection. 16 tracks race by in under 29 minutes. Original vocalist Ariel Ron does a fine job with a variety of growls and screams. The guitars run the show, though, mixing tremolo picking, chugging riffs, and creative use of harmonics and pick squeals. Dimebag Darrell is a strong influence; “Chain Reaction” lifts one riff from “A New Level.” However, there are other sounds at play, like d-beat and straight-up grindcore. The band is still synthesizing its influences, but the force of these grooves is undeniable.

The production here isn’t the greatest. The drums, in particular, sound both boxy and thin. Surprisingly, Pig Destroyer’s Scott Hull mixed the album. Given his track record, he must have either been under a time/budget crunch or had bad recordings to work with. I don’t mind, actually. The sound has a raw, “underground” vibe, although I don’t think that’s what the band intended. Syncopated material like this benefits from strong production, so I’m eager to hear what these cats do next. To get this album, email the band.

The band has since changed its name to They:Swarm.