Grime: Grime (EP 2011)

Grimy

I've mentioned before that I have a truly first-world problem. That is, there is more music vying for my attention than I have time to explore. OK, it's not really a "problem," it's a good thing, but it does require that I prioritize. Usually that means the bigger bands and bigger labels take precedence. Which I should kick myself for, because it's the smaller bands and labels that made this possible in the first place, and you can read about the bigger names anywhere.

I still allot time for a handful of unknown releases, but most of them don't get a complete review unless they grab me right away. Grime fucking grabbed me.


Grime is a sludge metal band. Rarely has a band had a more appropriate name, and rarely has the term "sludge metal" been more apt. So obviously they must be from the dirty swamps of Louisiana . . . or a port city in the picturesque foothills of northern Italy. Take your pick. Either way, they play sludge ugly, filthy, and heavy.

Half of the self-titled EP (by track count) is mid-paced, rifftastic groove, like the insanely good opener "Self-Contempt" or the rock 'n' roll "Born Sick." The other half is a slow plod, but no less satisfying in its murky layers of distortion. It's not original by any stretch, but it is extremely catchy. That means the rhythm section is doing one hell of a job. And the vocals are just as pretty as the rest of the music. Think of some great jungle cat shitting out some particularly sharp bone fragments.

You owe it to yourself to check this out. Or, end up with your bones passing through.

The Verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars



Mordgrimm