CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR

The mere mention of Liverpool almost instantly brings to mind the iconic pop rock band THE BEATLES. CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR was also born there, but the act is more than just a little stylistically removed from the Fab Four. Eardrum tenderizing grindcore is what these Englishmen are forging, and with its new EP, "Patiently Waiting For Wonderful Things", CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR proves that its dynamic grindcore is just as diverse as it is punishing.

Lineup stability has lent itself to the fact that the band continually improves on all fronts, and the pedigree on hand is quite impressive. John Cooke has been NAPALM DEATH's live guitarist for years now, he has performed with MALEVOLENT CREATION in a similar capacity, and he's also a member of the grindcore supergroup VENOMOUS CONCEPT. Drummer Tom Dring has been a live member of VENOMOUS CONCEPT as well, and he's a member of the chaotic, blackened grindcore gem that is MAGPYES. Also worthy of note is the band's extremely talented vocalist Chris Reese, who is a member of the burly grind band HORSEBASTARD, and he's filled in for NAPALM DEATH a few times.

But what sounds good on paper isn't always as appealing as a final product. The proof is in the pudding, and, as mentioned, "Patiently Waiting For Wonderful Things" is a sweet slab of grindcore, indeed. "Cathedral Of Porn" opens the EP with an infectious riff that's almost danceable, but that's merely a reprieve prior to a fracas of blasting belligerence. Next up, a sludge groove starts "You Smell Expensive" off prior to a bass rumbling noise rock-influenced section that hints at the significant transition ahead: A dramatic, skull-bashing grindcore surge.

The EP's latter half is even more varied. A casual, fist-pumping punk rock pace and energy defines the better part of "Maximum Bastardry", including the riff and gang vocals, prior to the drastic, violent transition toward guttural death metal brutality. "Spirit Breaker" ventures all over the map, but it does so coherently and with purpose. The calm intro makes way for a suffocating grind assault that ebbs and flows with power-violence, CEPHALIC CARNAGE-like quirky grind, and a crushing groove riff. And that's all before the song builds up to a climactic post-rock section that includes melodic vocals in a way that works and makes sense. The EP concludes with the murderous grindcore song "I Am An Ocean Of Wisdom", which includes a descending, repetitive riff that they wield with different tempos, nuances and rhythmic stabs.

The individual puzzle pieces of "Patiently Waiting For Wonderful Things" are not entirely unique, but they're assembled in a way that's refreshing and quite distinct. CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR is a grindcore band that has established its own identity. That is out of the ordinary within the excessively rigid grindcore scene. But for open-minded grindcore fans as well as aficionados of any form of extreme music, look no further than CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR, and this EP in particular, for something that sounds fresh and exciting.