MISERY INDEX - Retaliate
September 2, 2003, 21 years ago
(Nuclear Blast)
It's kinda confusing, I know, what with there being two bands that sound like Dying Fetus playing out right now (together on tour even!): Dying Fetus themselves and Misery Index, two-thirds of which are indeed ex-Dying Fetus alumni. And geez, does this ever sound like a great Dying Fetus album (more so than the latest one from DF, as a matter of fact). The songs are brief blasts of grindcore mayhem, with whip-cracking hardcore grooves thrown in for a bit of breathing room. It's a mature temper tantrum though, the whole album (a thankfully brief 31 minutes) flowing smartly and intelligently, with enough variety to keep the death metal doldrums from sneaking in. The drum work is excellent, although it sounds a little funny; I mean, come on, do you know anyone who has bass drums that actually sound like typewriter keys being plick-placked when yer jamming in the garage? All in all, one of the finest grind releases this year, and basically an improved version of the last Dying Fetus record, one that keeps the songs shorter and adds in a bit more spice to keep things lively. Awesome, and it's refreshing to see there's no bad blood between the two parties.
