MASSEMORD / THE FRONT / VALDUR
3-Way Split
(BlackMetal.com)

FUNEBRARUM
The Sleep of Morbid Dreams
(Cyclone Empire)

EASPA MEASA / SILENCE
Split
(Acclaim / Sadness of Noise)

BURMESE
Monkeys Tear Man to Shreds, Man Never Forgives Ape, Man Destroys Environment
(Enterruption)

CONSTANTS
The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension
(The Mylene Sheath)

AMBASSADOR GUN
When in Hell

(Pangea)

DUSTED ANGEL
7"

(Corrupt Rcordings)

MORE REVIEWS

The first thing that pops into my head as my brain gets turn into mush while listening to Ambassador Gun is that grindcore has gone a long way since the rudimentary days of Scum. Not only has production progressed through the hand of technology (permitting a clear, distinctive sound pass despite chaotic playing), but for some reason young musicians are now capable of maneuvering their instruments in ways that before were reserved for virtuosos.  Not only that, but if Ambassador Gun is a grindcore band, then grindcore has shed some of its crusty, cheap skin. Something similar could be said if one decides to tag this trio as a death metal band. In the case of Ambassador Gun, it is all the same difference.

While this recording retains some of those wild infantile trends of the grindcore of yore,  it is now also presented in a more professional fashion. And by professional I am primarily talking about the crisp production of When in Hell. Yeah, the songs here are ultra fast.  But there is such tight order in display. There is incredible clarity to everything, which both, takes some of the cool and wild aspects of the genre away and lets you appreciate whatever is going on. This is a personal issue. I both, enjoy When in Hell because I can finally hear how intricate the music is, and dislike it a bit because of its clinical cleanliness and its lack of raw spirit.

Getting past that and diving to the tunes we not only find excellent musicianship, but also a flawless tendency to veer from grind to death metal and even to melodic hardcore passages. This is more evident in the second half where  a quarter of the riffs sound like they were made in New York and then sped up to 45 rpm. It’s all hectic though and the invariable speed of these sixteen tracks do the band no favors as some of the tunes definitely mesh into each other. It takes more of a discerning ear to tell some of the stuff apart but for those willing to put the effort it might pay off. “Ignorance is This” is as good a grindcore track as something Napalm Death can do at their best. Albeit, the level of sophistication is very ‘un-grind’. The dual vocals aid in the flagellation and those un-heavy guitars are a nice juxtaposition to Ambassador Gun’s most strenuous moments. When in Hell could have been wild.  Had it not been so polished, it would have shot mortal bullets instead of some lethal shots and a handful of blanks.

 
MySpace

Contact us: 
editor@deafsparrow.com