MASAKARI

Southern Lord isn't screwing around with this recent batch of roster additions highlighting what they've dubbed "the future of hardcore." THE SECRET and the lordly BLACK BREATH alone drive the point home. "The Profit Feeds" from Midwesterners MASAKARI is the here and now of the rabble and offers fans a full meal of crusty curmudgeon potpie with sides of gristle-streaked grind and a generous helping of smoked hardcore.

MASAKARI pack quite a lot into the 28 minutes of "The Profit Feeds", including boat loads of DISFEAR/DISCHARGE D-beaten hardcore punk. The distorted riffing, bass buzz, and speed-addled drumming are all crammed together in a big ole ball of sludge 'n crunch, enough to choke a horse in fact. The speed and intensity periodically reach grindcore levels. But much as bands like INTEGRITY and TRAGEDY have done it, MASAKARI occasionally daub the layers with melody, and rather generously on "XI Nausea", though hardly through the use of catchy vocal patterns or soft strumming. Rather, "The Prophet Feeds" is a constant invasion of personal space, letting up infrequently, and even then lessening to a only a degree; something akin to shooting pains and a tightening of the chest, as opposed to outright debilitation from the wracking. By the time you've reached "Outro", a cut featuring a sample of an Army veteran decrying the veiled and overt racism he experienced in the Army, you've fully submitted to the sonic cleansing and stop caring about anything other than basic survival.

Even with some moderate track blur, "The Profit Feeds" features some intelligent songwriting and succeeds pretty well in carrying out its militant mission, one that usually results in the taking of hostages until unconditional demands are met. Southern Lord may really be onto something with this recent push. Then again, is anyone really surprised by that?