Crushing the Reviled

In the vein of Suffocation arises yet another NY based brutal death metal outfit known as a form of waste (Wasteform.) Well I say a form of waste because this album sounds like what their name is if you break it apart and read it. Okay, so it's not complete garbage, but the production is B-A-D... and what does that spell? Bad! Bad bad bad bad! It's blasphemous production like the vocalists voice, which is utterly sick sounding (and I mean that in a good way for the vocalist, but bad for the CD sound.) Let's dissect the form of waste and get to the bottom of this review... literally.

Let's talk about this production I've mentioned. What makes it just that bad? Hear the drums first off... think about this. Have you ever heard a cat fight happen where you keep your trash cans, and all you hear is "...meoooow! Ting ting, clang, bang bang..." Forget the terrible cat onomatopoeia, but think about the sounds of a metallic trash can. That's one of the thngs which make the production sound like... well waste. The drums sound metallic, which isn't good of course. The snare is like aluminium, sounds like one of those big march band's snare drums. Blast beats galore in this album, so what you hear mostly in this album is "te te te te te te te te..." which is my onomatopoeia of a snare drum. Other than this, the drums sound alright. Guitars... low tunned but they're there... typical death metal sounding guitars. They're fast, furious, riff-ful, and grindious... I'm just making up words along the way so excuse me. Grindious = sheer grinding, sonic sounding madness. Anyway, the bass is sorta weak... where is it? I hear alot of trebble but not much bass sound. Why does the booklet label that there's a bass player when I can't hear anything from "Mr. Mysterious?" Now Gred Kennedy, the "barking mess" guy... ha it really sounds like he is a junkyard dog on this album! He's a mess with his voice, and it's awesome! He's one sick bastard (large and in charge) who can belch his lungs out! I wouldn't be surprised if during the recording session of this album, he puked out his lungs! Eck... that's not a pretty sight... moving on! Sure this all sounds great, but everything sounds so damn low. I put my headphone volume on to 30 (the highest) and still the music doesn't sound loud enough. It's either the production or I'm just getting deaf.

The CD reads on the back in big bold letters "Certified 110% Disgusting Metal" and their first track "Cycles Of Tyranny" sure as hell demonstrates that. From the little growling intro in the distant, you can tell that this would sound like some form of waste (is that joke getting old now?) Then comes the riffage duo and they tear your headphones wide open (if the production was louder, then they would've shreded your CD player along with the headphones.) Ready... set... mosh! The double bassing drums comes in and Gred Kennedy barks like a rabid dog with rabies! Arf arf! It's brutal, no sign of a melody in this song. This is a great opener, what else does Wasteform have to offer?

"Overbearing Filth" is served fresh next for all you sick death metallers, rushing in with no bullshit intro. "Garbage can" blast beats dominate your ears as brutal-catchy guitar riffs back up the insanity and Greg barks again... then it's armageddon all over again. Melody? What are you, kidding? Haven't you read their label being "Disgusting Metal?" It's just mad I tell you, this is mad this track and furious.

Next is my personal favorite and a the longest song on the album "Permanence." The guitars begin to get louder with each stroke and once again, hell breaks lose with a thrashy beat. Comence thy barking madness and your set once again in the middle of a mosh you can't escape (haha, poor you.) Finally, we hear a solo! It's not a special solo, it's weak if you ask me and is about 15 seconds only, but ah whatever, it goes fine with the insanity. There is no rest for the wicked speed up until you get passed the sickened demonic duo vocal done by someone (I don't know who it is, nor does the book say who it is.) There here comes the coolest part of the song... a very black metallish riff with double-bass drums galore. Bang that head muthafucker! This is the time to do that! It's a nice climax part to the song... then it's back to the great mosh with the tin can blast beats. Beautifully constructed song, just sheer brutality. NY brutal death metal done the right way!

Up to this point, I personally am getting tired of hearing the shitty drum quality... and come to think about it, the songs are starting to sound kinda the same. This is "Crushing The Reviled" and I'm beginning to get bored, hearing another track start with blast beats and sheer sonic guitars (where's the bass?!) Eck... there's a little solo in this one while Gred is barking, but nothing special. Excuse me as I yawn... okay, now let's move on... brutality sometimes isn't the best thing to hear when it sounds the same and is repetetive. It has a cool ending with blistering guitars shredding through your ears. So-so track, but anyway.

Surprise surprise, here we have some melody! "Hollow Silence" and there couldn't be a better name for it! No wonder this is an instrumental track. The band were probably telling Greg to bark in this one, but he was like "fuck no, I don't wanna sing in some pussy ass shit like this" all high from weed. Lol, so it became an instrumental. I suppose this is just their way of saying "relax now... but you'll be caught in the mosh again bitch" with an evil laughter. Hehe, so it starts off with a nice little acoustic, then of course being it's death metal, brings in grinding riffs. Though they aren't heavy, they are grinding. Then it speeds up, telling you to be ready mere mortal for the pit to return to you. You're stuck again, what can you do now?! Ah, they don't call it dustgusting metal for no reason... and you thought this was only all melodic?!

Back to the brutality, it's "Puncture Festival" and man what a sick name for a song. Now only is the name sick, but the music sounds sick also! Of course, blast beats lead you into the shredful sounding guitars. The barking mess comes in and your there (where's the goddamn bass?!) Though it becomes boring once again, hearing the same drum patterns and guitar riffs. Gregs voice is something though and is interesting to hear. He sounds alot like Lord Worm of Cryptopsy but not as crazy as him. Well let's skip this sickness and move on.

"Vanquished" hits you with a thrashy sound. Here's something different... I guess. Still it doesn't really catch my ear but hey, I can finally hear the bass! Three cheers for the bass sound! Hip hip... horray! Anyway, this isn't the fastest song on the album., there's something different also. Now I'm interested in hearing it and it's not that bad. It goes fast, then slow... super slow with a nice little solo inbetween the slow speed. Okay, so whats next?

Next stop is "Human Thought/Into the Unlight," the first part being the brutal death metal part and the second being a melodic instrumental outro (surprise again.) Tin can blast beats dominate once again... ZzZzZzZz. Okay guys, it's old, can't you start off any different?! Well there's alot of rhythm is this song... catchy! Okay, now we're getting somewhere with a nice little "metalcore-like breakdown." Here, he is really screaming his damaged lungs out, shrieking like a person being ass raped! So it isn't that bad either, but still, I'm bored but people still would be moshing to this one (and they are!) It's brutal alright until the music fades out into a sweet acoustic instrumental ("Into the Unlight.") For some reason, when I hear this, it makes me think of old Sepultura's acoustic parts from their "Schizophrenia" album and so on. It's nice... good transistion!

We finish off with a brutal end... what else is new? This is hell, this is the end, this is good! Double bass drums make you bow down to the speakers as Gred barks his way through the drumming. This is your last chance to bang that noggin of yours to the madness. The guitar work is neat with a catchy rhythm. Then the breakdown comes, sounding almost metalcorish again. Then that's it, the form that is waste is done performing with the double bass drums leading you out.

It isn't the biggest garbage in the world, hell it isn't garbage at all. It's brutal waste, NY style. Though the rating would be higher, but the repetiveness of the album, down-tunned production, and the mysterious bass bought down the rating. This is something I don't listen to everyday so buy it if you're into disgusting metal that's relentless and insane. Well that's me, but hey, my opinion doesn't necessaritely matter right?! Say hello to the new generation of death metal.

Goddammit Wasteform, make your logo more legiable next time! It looks more like "Hateform" than "Wasteform!"

Ear Catchers: Cycles Of Tyranny, Overbearing Filth, Permanence, Hollow Silence

Um, yeah, not too bad in parts. Nothing special, but the vocals are pretty brutal and raw. In general the music is more tuff than it is fantastic. Nothing strangely innovative or mind blowing, but just ok simple Death Metal. The guitar work in places is fast and pretty good, the drumming is terrible and probably the main reason the band are held back from being super tight. As the LP goes on, you start to notice the bands few weaknesses, like not being able to structure their songs very well etc. But if you take this at its face value as simple Death Metal then there isn’t too much of a problem. It is the crunchy tuff riffs here and there that make this LP worthwhile. But, a band that relies on that a bit too much tend not to stick to my thoughts for too long. Great crunchy break on “Crushing the Reviled” though. But songs that go downhill from the good parts are overly frustrating. :-/
“Hollow Silence” is a pretty fucking cool song though, just needs some vocals rather than being a pointless instrumental.

That’s all I got to say really, maybe check it out, but don’t expect to be inspired or anything, at all.. Maybe they'll get better :-S