Label: Headsplit Records
Date: December 16th, 2020
Back in the day, before grinding became an excuse for having no actual musical skills but wanting to make some noise anyway, grindcore was a genre people cared about and nurtured into a more extreme form of death metal. More extreme, but quite listenable. These bands had something to say, both musically and lyrically. Some of them still do, to this day. But there is a new breed of noisy grind these days, with bands running around like braindead children.
And then there are bands like Apraxic. Though only a couple of years in existence, these guys have an excellent idea of what grind really stands for. Now, to be precise, this US outfit combines death and grind, accentuating both genres equally. Their focal point is not in the constant speed, or technical mastery. Crafting brutal, yet thoughtful pieces, with actual arrangements included, while honoring the postulates of the genre is the key to their debut album.
No, Apraxic is not original in their approach to grinding death metal. This has all been heard before. “Edge of Human” brings nothing new to the table, but offers an honest, loving tribute to what the genre was all about in its infancy.
Looking from the lyrical perspective, it would seem as if we have a somewhat unusual approach. At least from what I could gather, since I didn’t get the chance to read the lyrics and I’m judging from what I could hear. Yes, the singing is also fairly listenable. None of those pig squeals or throat farting in the microphone. Also, song titles are quite expressive in that regard. It would seem as if this is some post-apocalyptic gore scenario depicted on the record. The cover artwork could also suggest that I’m right in my interpretation, even if I cannot be completely sure.
The record is pretty short, just 22 minutes for these 8 tracks, but it gives a good idea of what Apraxic are capable of. Quite unoriginal, yet decent take on death / grind, with hellish amount of energy infused within. Nicely composed, executed per every expectation and produced to the modern standards yet with a careful consideration to the roughness necessary for the correct feel for such a genre. Eight tracks that will surely bring back memories to the old ones and a fine idea of what grind was all about in its infancy.
Made to be taken in, not overly elaborated. Hence, I’m putting a stop to this review. And pushing “play” once more.
