Providence v. Noise

v.

Normally it wouldn't make much sense to compare Immolation to Wormrot. One is a death metal band out of New York that's been around for over 20 years. The other is a grindcore band out of Singapore with a 4 year tenure. But both have recently released free five-song EPs through the controversial Scion A/V.

The question of corporate sponsorship for music has been discussed many times by many other people. I don't feel I have anything to add to the discussion, so I'll just tell you where I stand. Free music is good for the consumers, and when a band can get paid to release it, then it's good for the band, too. The company gets good will and viral marketing out of the deal. Everybody wins, so long as the company doesn't exert undue influence--and by all accounts, Scion A/V does nothing of the sort.


So, on to Immolation's Providence. If you've ever heard Immolation, the EP shouldn't be a shocker. It's eighteen minutes of heavy, mid-paced death metal riffs with brutal, fast drums, and a handful of breakdowns. The synth cellos on "Illumination" are an interesting touch, but otherwise it's straight-up NYDM. The sound is a superb example of how "modern" (i.e. clean and polished) production can actually sound good, as the drums sound much better than on the band's last full-length.



If you'll recall, Wormrot already released a free album this year--although the first was not exactly planned to be free in advance. Like I said, at least they're getting paid. Noise is just over five minutes in length. For the mathematically challenged, that averages to about one minute per song. It's every bit as frantic and schizophrenic as grind should be. The vocals are a mix of hardcore shouts, gang vocals, and death growls, while the riffs are an equally eclectic collection. For some reason I can't explain--perhaps it's the short runtime--I like this quite a bit better than their recent full-length.



The Verdict: Both albums are excellent examples of the styles in question, and of the quality of music these bands can produce. I give each of them a 4.5 out of 5 star rating. It's a close call, but I find in favor of Wormrot. But really, everybody wins.