EARTHBURNER

It can take a lifetime for some projects to come to fruition. EARTHBURNER has been festering away in the grind-loving underground for over 20 years. The brainchild of BROKEN HOPE guitarist Jeremy Wagner and drummer Mike Miczek, this unapologetic tribute to the glory days of TERRORIZER, REPULSION and NAPALM DEATH has led to a grand total of three songs (2012  "3-Song EP") and a whole lot of intrigued whispers. Finally, Wagner and Miczek have bitten the bullet and made the full-length record that their militant devotion to this music demands. Completed by bassist Tyler Affinito (GLORYHOLE GUILLOTINE) and powerhouse growler Devin Swank (SANGUISUGABOGG),  this is what happens when a great idea finally explodes into life.

EARTHBURNER are committed to stripping grindcore down to its pre-NASUM essence. Fast, furious and focused, but resolutely punk as fuck, they have peeled away some of the sterile modernity that crept into the genre in the late '90s and replaced it with an abundance of crust and filth. Largely comprised of short, fast and brutal songs, "Permanent Dawn" is also subtly experimental, in the true tradition of early grindcore. Fans of evil death metal will find plenty to enjoy too.

Opener "Necrodisiac" is a perfect storm of DEICIDE blast worship and monstrous, MORTICIAN-like chug, made all the more convincing by vocals from IMMOLATION legend Ross Dolan. "Like Dogs" reveals the filthy majesty of Affinito's bass tone, while smashing everything in sight for 37 seconds. "Broken Head" is a relentless sprint, with warped screams from honorary EARTHBURNER member Mitch Harris (NAPALM DEATH) and bludgeoning hardcore riffs straight from the DIY depths. "Facelift" is a schizophrenic, monochrome onslaught; the title track sounds like an outtake from the first CARCASS album, but specifically designed to incite giant circle pits; and "Slaves To The Screen" is frostbitten deathgrind for the misanthropic masses.

There is great joy in the fact that two distinct generations of metalheads can come together and click like this. EARTHBURNER may be saluting the past, but songs like "Perception For Profit" and "Hunger Pains" bring freshness and vitality to a tried-and-tested blur of ingredients. The production is vicious and heavy, but still sounds like it should be playing from a cheap cassette. A grotesque cover of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's "Positive Outlook" (featuring Jake Cannavale from the utterly unhinged VIXEN MAW) reinforces the idea that things probably were better in the old days, but EARTHBURNER are perfectly fine with bringing that shit back with a vengeance. Grind on, noble warriors. "Permanent Dawn" is a nasty piece of work and a righteous blast from the past.