Constant Negative

I recieved this from the band a while ago to review, but then shelved it and completely forgot about it. Probably doesn't mean much now, me reviewing it three years after it was released, but I still must pay my dues. I stuck this into my cd player and was real regretful of the fact that I'd allowed it to gather dust as it's a really great EP.

Morgue Supplier play a really heavy for of grinding death metal that should appeal to fans of old and new school death/grind alike. The riffing is strong and memorable despite being bludgeoning and chaotic, with an added dose of creativity for those bored of your dime-a-dozen blasting brutal death bands. The riffs are creative and flashy, anything but nondescript, yet at the same time they don't go into silly progressive territory. The band is happy to plug away at traditional deathgrind even though their talent as musicians far surpasses that, which is something I respect a lot.

Vocals range from an early Napalm Death style bark to lower guttural growls, and the drumming is fast, organic and full of fills. Even the bass has it's place in the compositions without being in your face about it. Most of the material is blasting but there are some mid-paced sections that allow you to catch your breath before more insane riffs and fast blasting. One of the biggest highlights is a cover of Metallica's Fight Fire With Fire, complete with all of the intensity of the original but with blasts replacing the thrash beats.

So in short, this is heavy, angry, spastic and very speedy death/grind. Tight musicianship, good production and strong, flowing songs, definitely worth your time.

Rising from the abyss of some grungy practice hovel with a vengeance, comes Morgue Supplier. Chicago’s finest underground death/grind band has delivered another brutal opus of blistering riffs, bestial vocals, and punishing drumbeats. I am not an avid fan of this genre, but I still do enjoy an occasional tryst with cacophonic madness. Morgue Supplier definitely delivers in blood-soaked stars. “Constant Negative” is short but intense and not easily forgotten. This album is a culmination of sweat, tears, a few murders for inspiration’s sake, and a shit load of dedication. I swear, after my first listen I checked this album for a surgeon general’s warning. It’s that scary.

Listen to “Constant Negative” while taking a bath, and it’s likely to turn your soapy water into blood; pump it through the speakers of your stereo at a summer barbecue and you’ll likely be swarmed by locusts; listen to it in the rain and you are likely to witness a downpour of contagion-ridden frogs. Yep, I said it folks, this album is as punishing and brutal as The Old Testament of God.

If it’s purity you are after look no further. You’ll find none of that screamo/metalcore here, which is desperately trying to cater its newly evolving formula of decaffeinated grind metal to ex-emo twenty-something’s who frequent Hot Topic. If the abovementioned is your cup of tea then you won’t find the regressive drink Morgue Supplier offers palpable. Morgue Supplier’s chaotic arias of disharmonic concordance are meant to please aficionados and connoisseurs of the genre.

Eric Bauer continues to improve on the drums. His menacing celerity and technical prowess on “Mother of doG” will methodically pound and tenderize your eardrums into submission. Listen to him for too long and I have no doubt that you’ll be sitting in a dark corner, trembling with your thumb in your mouth. Chris Mull is reliable, technically proficient, and steadfast in his approach. Yes, he is brutal, but there is a quality to his riffing that touches upon the technical prowess of Gorguts and other pseudo-technical virtuoso bands. This rings even more true for bassist Steve Reichelt. The three of them compliment each other perfectly and offer Paul Gillis a hostile enough environment to growl his contempt for mankind. This band is rage incarnate and absolute in their exposition of audible carnage, so solos are far and few between. The purpose of this music is to hit you in the face like a wrecking ball and leave you wondering what happened 21 minutes later.

If you like covers and just happen to be a fan of vintage Metallica, and I stress vintage, then you are in for a treat. Morgue Supplier’s offering of “Fight Fire with Fire” is simply amazing. This homage to one of the venerable master’s of thrash metal is about as close as one can get to balancing brutality and mimicry perfectly. It’s scary how fucking well they pulled it off.

We live in a world in crisis. Media outlets audibly and visually assault us with sensationalized violence, economic collapse, lying politicians, false prophets, and mind numbing reality television shows. Paul Gillis sees the puppet strings that control the whims of the impressionable masses. His vocals are a guttural wakeup call. His lyrics are poignant and both introspective and retrospective. Just as he harshly judges society and its shortcomings, he garners the courage to look inward and face his own anger, an anger that reverberates within each of us who can relate to his visceral preaching on some level. Is there frustration here? Yes, but instead of caving under the weight of his frustrations, Paul stands erect and beats his chest like an alpha, relaying to us a grand message beneath the context of his brutal lyrics: Although we can’t change the world, neither can the world change us if we rip its fucking heart out!

Morgue Supplier are not novices to this game, and this masterpiece is a testament to their unrelenting determination to move forward on a road less traveled and get better along the way.

Didn't know really what to expect from this release. I'd never heard of Morgue Supplier previous to an e-mail from the vocalist, and when I received the record and took a look at the cover I was none the wiser. I have to be honest and say this is by far the most boring artwork I've seen in a long time, but I suppose that's not what really matters. It became clear quite right away after hitting play that I was dealing with a somewhat unconventional outfit, one that took inspiration from both death metal and grindcore like so many other acts, but still retaining a flair of their own.

One moment, as for instance in Mother dog, it blasts away in a flurry of technicality in both guitar and drum department, and the brutality is almost overwhelming as I find some similarities with older Cryptopsy. For Convulsive reoccurence they take on a much heavier and groovy approach, and deliver the goods perfectly as the ultra-heavy American death metal agenda is vivid. As for Slave it momentarily sounds quite old school grindcore, and I can almost taste the Napalm Death, whereas the title track, Constant negative, slickly flirts with schizoid jazz grind in a way that'd make Cephalic Carnage jealous. This is some intense and fucked up shit, I tell you that.

It really doesn't matter what kind of comparisons I make, or for that matter where the lads actually got their inspiration. Nor does it matter that the EP contains some much varied tendencies; Morgue Supplier skillfully brings it all together. It goes by fast, it blasts like crazy but with enough breaks of groove and catchiness to keep me at the edge of my seat. The riffing is great, displaying both technicality and a sense of sanity, and the same goes for the drum department with its many variations in drum patterns. Vocally I couldn't ask for more as Paul's hoarse grunts, growls and screams are so intense and convincing I'm in awe. The record really doesn't have any downside or flaws whatsoever, and I dare say I've never heard a better cover of a Metallica song before (although a real fan of the band might say otherwise). It's still just an EP, and it'd be quite interesting to see if they can sound as convincing during an entire fullength.

Originally written for http://www.mylastchapter.net

Chicago’s Morgue Supplier are certainly no new comers to the metal scene - these guys have been bashing out their mid-west American style of brutal death metal and grind core for a decade, and have roots that go even beyond that. So it’s no surprise that their latest offering, the “Constant Negative EP, is quality grind with quality musicianship. For the most part, Morgue Supplier offers us old school grind, tinged with some modern techniques.

The album starts off right away and displays some of the more modern influence in the band - technical and atonal riffs with fast blast beats backing it. The band quickly breaks things up with some slow breakdowns. At this point, I personally was a bit wary of what this band was going to offer - was this really just death core in disguise?

The second track and the rest of this EP clearly answers “no” to the previous question. The riffs are more coherent, although still technical and twisted. Each song displays a variety of old school influences making themselves quite apparent. There’s definitely some nice thrash riffs and quick thrash beats, juxtaposed right next to faster blasting parts. This stuff definitely grinds, and proves to be really damn heavy. Adding to the brutality of the music is a powerful vocal performance that has some dynamics to it, giving the songs all the more character.

In 21 minutes, “Constant Negative” proves to be an enjoyable listen if you’re into modern grind with death metal influences - with clear yet heavy production. The band does their own version of Metallica’s “Fight Fire With Fire”, and personally, I enjoy when grind bands cover classic songs like this. Fans of Pig Destroyer or Exhumed will definitely want to hear this.

Hailing from Illinois, Chicago's Morgue Supplier teach an undeniable lesson in semi-technical brutality to near perfection. If you've recently wondered when that next "great" release is going to hit the streets that just completely annihalates you, today is your lucky day. No gimmicky trendy bullshit here, just pure, from the soul, intensity rendered at an expert level.

The title track "Constant Negative" opens up this 21 minute EP of ugliness in a total fucking maniacal rage. The semi-technical aspect of the band mentioned in the opening paragraph is displayed here in full effect. You are blessed with the main riff that gives heavyweights Gorguts and Cryptopsy a serious run for their money, but it is interlaced with a solid structure that you can grab onto and ride out. The slow passage that presents itself near the middle of the track brings a doom-laden, plodding feeling that is reminiscent of the darkest days of your life. Absent is the monotony and endless forgetable riffage that so many crappy deathcore bands are wasting our time with recently.

The musicianship & songwriting on this EP are extremely good. If there are flaws, I'm having a hell of a time finding them. These guys are as tight as your first fuck and it speaks volumes in creating a vibe that is chaotic, precise, and mammoth all at once. "Forgive Nothing" is the shortest & most grind influenced song of the lot & Eric Bauer's drumwork here is incredibly solid. The blast beats within are the most powerful & audible on the disc. "Slave" & "Degenerate" blend together the bands varied stylistics perfectly. You are treated to nearly equal parts death metal & grindcore with a bit more odd technicality on "Degenerate", all put together as if they were made for eachother.

Lyrically, Paul Gillis is able to vomit out actual visions of the bleakest times in one's life, all the while creating an atmosphere that resembles another instrument. This is brought to life in abundance during the cleverly evil "Mother of Dog". Initially I was confused as to what the lyrics meant but then realized everything is sung backwards. Damn, reciting Christian prayers in reverse at such a furious pace must've taken plenty of practice and is yet another testament to these guys work ethic. Chris Mull's guitar work & Steve Reichelt's bass chops are second to none. These guys are serious players in this overcrowded scene of wannabe musicians. "Convulsive Reoccurrence" & "Open Sore Abuse" are two tracks taken & reworked from the bands 2004 effort "Sociopath", & here the stringed duo really stand out(well, not as if they don't on the whole album, but here they really shine).

Not expecting to hear a cover song(as I usually don't want to hear them), I was literally blown away by these guys' rendition of Metallica's "Fight Fire with Fire". This is pure adrenaline right here folks. Grind over a Metallica song? Yes, & it is done superbly. Everyone in the band reincarnates this song in their own right. I can guarantee you right now that if the Metallidude's ever heard this, they'd pretend like they didn't because they'd have no chance of matching what the Morgue Supplier crew accomplished here.

The whole concept of the title "Constant Negative" is brought out effortlessly because the music & lyrics breathe contempt for our delusional, false & pretentious society. These guys are at one with their hatred & you cannot be fooled into thinking otherwise. The album art says it all for me, because by the time I was done listening to this cd, my hand was also over my face, totally disgusted with myself that I didn't create this masterpiece.

Why 95% and not 100% you may be asking yourself, considering my praise of this cd? Well, the only slight(and I do mean slight) downfall is that while the production is good, it is not great. I mean, seriously it sounds really good, and I do love the dirty aspect of the album, but if the drums were a little clearer at times, especially the snare on certain grind sections, this would've been literally perfect. Besides that minor flaw, this is the heaviest album I've heard in years, no joke. So, get up, get out, & get your paws on this cd asap.

Favorite tracks: They're all fucking good, but I guess if I have to decide, I'll go with "Constant Negative", "Mother of Dog", & "Open Sore Abuse".

Okay, let's see what we have here. First impression after listening to USA's Morgue Supplier was that the name fits the music almost instantly. A very traditional choice, for music that tangents to the oldschool, trying to adhere the gory themes of its precursors. Both ferocity and aggressiveness awaits any and all who decide to check these boys out. There is at least no need to justify this band's existence. In other words, you don't have to find your scene kids with this one, since there will not be any. Today's metal scene is fucked up, filled with lame people who think they're heavy and extreme in each and every way. Well not here.

The fact that this album is going to be fast, aggressive, merciless and fierce should be very clear to this point. Constant Negative, as a very fitting name, drives the stream of blandness out of its sound, creating a short, nicely digestable EP for modern consumer needs. As today's scene (and world in general) has become a constant negative, dominated by false institutions, Morgue Suppliler nail the point right into the face of falsehood, keeping a superior grin on their blood encrusted facial expression. This ferocious assault of grind has roots in classic metal bands, as well as incorporate modern gimmicks into their sound, which really are not necessary. they only add up to harmless fun at the end of a track, i.e. the outro of "Forgive Nothing", which ends in a flickering balance change on the speakers. The ruthless presentation of tracks such as "Mother of Dog" really make you sympathize with these guys, since here the anti-religious affects of the band surface in a very clear manner. Not only that the music shits all over artificial and superficial values, the lyrics also give a good bash.

"Life my pledge not will I
know not do I which that to
deaf are ears my blind are eyes my
God call you that bullshit this to"

Noticeable here are the inversions of the various lines in the text. That's a very clever way to present your antipathy. As a religious denying music, this is what the most aggressive in the business should me depicted like. The vocalist represents the music adequately most of the time, yet the focus of his vocal delivery should be more on imposing, intimidating vocal ranges, and the improvement on the screeching dull screams. About 20% of it all didn't do it for me, but that's just arrogance speaking. Occasionally, some hardcore sounding shouts irritate, but luckily not for long (see intro of Forgive Nothing).

Though sometimes the guitar riffing resembles very much the unaesthetic chaotic jumble of the notorious "mathcore" crap, most of the time we get classical juiced up heavy riffs, that burn into the listener's ears. It's a good thing that the sound coulisse pretty much covers up droll riffs and shabby screams. Overall, this EP is worth getting, even just because of "Mother of Dog". Metallica's "Fight Fire With Fire" cover does not interest any much, but that may be because I never was that big a Metallica fan. This version is a bloated version of the original, onyl translated into the more aggressive modern style, with which some bands think they pay decent homage with. Oh well, out of the 10000000000 bands that have their homepage on myspace, I'd definitely check these guys out.

Rating: Go for it.

Normally I am not one to go out for much grindcore, as the scene is controlled by a bunch of tight wadded, spastic scenester kids making awful political statements or channeling their A.D.D. into the craziest patterns their hands and feet and vocal chords can spew. I am far more the type who likes his grind sauteed in well written death metal and a complete lack of pretentious posturing. Morgue Supplier, out of Chicago, offer a solution that everyone can be satisfied with, and Constant Negative is an excellent shell for the terrifying payload potential. Morgue Supplier is a HEAVY fucking band, the kind of heavy that is used to demolish concrete structures, foreign armies and the dreams of the innocent. They provide a bleak indoctrination into the hopelessness of living, the perversity and addiction which still corrode the margins of our civilization despite the wasted attempts of public service announcements and too often hypocritical good will.

That all of this is delivered in just over 21 minutes (less, if you discount the Metallica cover) is a testament to the band's talent at writing impulses of carefully constructed chaos. Morgue Supplier are a dynamic band, that is, they will not simply blast and grind through you; they actually write songs, which range from the staggering and unforgiving speed of other deathgrind acts to slower, doom laden passages which recall a fantasy jam session between Godflesh and Pestilence in 1989. Vocalist Paul Gillis sounds like a bulldog who was experimented upon, given sentience, then escaped from his captors and tormentors in a lab fire, and is now out to seek revenge...okay...not one mutant bulldog, but a pack of them. He snarls and growls in tandem, creating a percussive ruckuss that adds momentum to the rhythm sections which feel like getting slammed in the jaw repeatedly by a steel girder swinging from a crane.

"Constant Negative" itself is the grand christening to this timely little juggernaut, and it swells with almost Gorguts-level mathematical oddness that breaks into some of the slower passages (I mentioned before). "Slave" will just fucking kill you, a grinding thrasher hyped up on every drug imaginable. But thank to the excellent production here, you can taste every little meathook rhythm as it hooks a slab for the freezer. The riffs after :30 actually become intensely hypnotic before they transform into an all out battery which places your brain and audio inputs at the brink of collapse. "Forgive Nothing" is the sound of those aforementioned bulldogs tearing up the flesh of anyone in their path, grinding vomit holocaust with spasms of winding thrash death punch. "Mother of Dog" is one of the longer originals on the EP, and the slowdown after 1:00 is one of the most atmospheric, incredible segments of the material...like the drug addled stupor of one too many early AM rushes to the emergency ward.

Life my pledge not will I
know not do I which that to
deaf are ears my blind are eyes my
God call you that bullshit this to
yourself question you do

Indeed! "Degenerate" is another turbulent piece with some tight, spastic hooks that resound like a pedophiliac's laughter as he's handed his pink slip from the local prison. After this, we are treated with Morgue Supplier's rendition of "Fight Fire With Fire", and while I would have gladly traded it for another original track, at least the band makes it their own (after the acoustics, of course). The vocals actually sound good over it, and the blasted bridge riff is pretty hot. The EP closes with two re-recordings of tracks from the band's 2004 Sociopath album. "Convulsive Reoccurence" features some of the most slamming breaks on the EP, busily grooving beneath the destructive arc of Gillis' throat, and has another of those incredible slow rhythms, vibrating beneath some architectural speed picking. "Open Sore Abuse" is laden with Eric Bauer's shifting drum work and some insane rise & fall rhythms, like the final cleaving of skull from neck as the bonesaw drives on down to the autopsy table.

Morgue Supplier is pretty fucked, in all the right ways, but you never once feel as if they lose control over what they are creating (like so many of those subpar spastic bands created to impress the brainy chic that always hangs around the local tattoo parlor). The lyrics are deceptively simple...delivering chaos through a stream of angered thoughts that accumulate from the far corners of the mind. This is no bad acid trip, it's more like a bad night of 'mix and match whatever chemicals you have in your cupboard'. It's like drinking antifreeze and being rushed off to the clinic...your whole life flashes before your eyes, or at least someone's life.

Complaints? Not really...I could have lived without the Metallica cover, but it's not bad. If you like death metal, you will probably like this. If you like grindcore, you will probably like this. Ghettocore? Sure. 'Math' metal? Why not. Constant Negative supplies so many corpses that they're stacked up in the back alley BEHIND the morgue. It will be great to hear the band's next full-length, especially if it can retain the quality of what this EP contains. Of course, I'm not sure the Prairie State can carry such a burden without exploding, but if Morgue Supplier wipes it off the map, all the better!

Highlights: Slave, Mother of Dog, Convulsive Reoccurence, Open Sore Abuse

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com