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Development? Are you for real? You mean to tell me that there was an actual phase where this band sounded even more primitive and pedestrian than this? Because I wouldn’t believe it. Maybe if the members of Athrenody were sent back to the womb and rocked moistly straight from the placenta I would understand that whole concept of ‘development’ which frankly, in light of the music of this album, sounds like a grand concept; one so big and complex that is hard to grasp.
On second thought, I take back the whole ‘primitive’ part, because there is cool primitive shit. You know, Hellhammer and shit. And in the hardcore, thrash and grind realm, you know, about every other band including early Napalm Death was way primitive. Neardenthals of rock. On a third thought, I take back the whole ‘pedestrian’ part, because if we go back to the past and check the history of grind and punk we realize that it is all pretty much cemented on being pedestrian. Novices in music. It was accidental music to a degree. But it worked. Not in the case of Athrenody. This rocks obtusely, without taste nor sense.
Surprises to find no other than Matt Harvey at the vocals. We may all know him from Exhumed, Noothrgush, Repulsion and Decapitator, amongst others, fame. For reals, if he played in Repulsion he should know better than to record this pile of doodoo. He does the vocals and adopts your typical half grunt half burp 'gutturalit'y. I know, that’s not a word, but if you catch my drift, it is. And his monotone approach is the best thing here. Worst of all are the guitars. There was zero creativity in that department. Both guitarists (if we dare call them that) seem to know only one trick and one string. Hence the eternal blur which is Xeroxed nine times. One for each song. As a result, Athrenody rocks with the virtues of a limbless marathon runner, with the grace of a wingless gazelle, with the bite of a toothless Bengal tiger and the ferocity of a declawed lion with a shrunken head. Unsurprisingly, this band went belly up a while ago.
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