NASUM

Difficult third album? Pah! You might get some bands laboring under the pretension that they've matured into proper "artistes" and can dispense with everything that made them attractive in the first place. But NASUM, that six-legged battering ram from Sweden who've pumped fetid new life into the grindcore scene… think long and hard about that absurd notion while you scrape your brains off the wall behind you.

Indeed, as third albums go, "Helvete" is less of a venture into unknown territories — more of an armor-plated modification to their already lethal arsenal that has gradually learned how to pulp your grey matter in many different ways. NASUM simply don't need to veer off into arty-farty clever-core realms to be different, because they fully understand the importance of retaining that dirty detuned drone that makes grindcore what it is. So, when the NEUROSIS-on-speed discordance that is "Stormshield" winds it's nervy way, it doesn't fall out of step with rootsier blasters like "Bullshit", "Go!" or the irrepressible "Doombringer".

Moreover, perhaps one day you can envisage the Swedes moving into more skewed sonic areas inhabited by the likes of DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, CONVERGE and BOTCH (as hinted at by the likes of "Relics"). But for now, trad grindcore fans, you can sleep easy in the knowledge that both "Scoop" and "We Curse You All" would strain the needle on any speedometer, while the stories behind the songs lean towards the kind of anti-fascist/anti-sexist themes that aren't covered nearly enough is this supposed "alternative" scene.

"Helvete" is Swedish for hell. And NASUM's interpretation of it contains all the nastiest sonic pleasures you could possibly dream up.