1987
The Beginning
1. Napalm Death - Scum (1987)
Even if 1986 saw Reign In Blood's attack (overrated), the following year was when Grindcore, probably the most extreme subgenre of all, was born. Scum is famous for numerous reasons, and it deserves it. It's Napalm Death's debut. It has two almost different lineups on the two halves. This record is also home to the shortest song ever recorded, and you all know it.
Napalm Death - Scum
2. Carcass - Reek Of Putrefaction (1988)
Download Napalm Death - From Enslavement To Obliteration
Carcass are probably the best band for extreme music fans, since they were there when Grindcore was taking off, they released a traditional Death album and from Necroticism on they helped MeloDeath evolve. Their pure Grind debut, Reek Of Putrefaction, may be brought down by the muddy production, but its merits are undeniable.
Carcass - Reek Of Putrefaction
3. Napalm Death - From Enslavement To Obliteration (1988)
I kinda feel sorry for not giving this album enough credit when I first touched upon it one year ago, so let's say that FOAD is a really good album, a full 30 minutes of madness about the insanity of modern society. Even if I don't like it as much as Scum and Apex Predator, I'd put it above Utopia Banished and Harmony Corruption.
Napalm Death - From Enslavement To Obliteration
4. Repulsion - Horrified (1989)
Some people say that Horrified is the first real Grind album, but I have no idea why someone would say that. What about the previous 3 entries? Anyway, there is a certain feel about Horrified, brought by the cutting riffs and weird sound, which probably brought Horrified to legend status. I give massive respect to the people at Repulsion for not staining their reputation by putting out records at breakneck pace to maintain relevancy, unlike the next contenders.
Repulsion - Horrified
5. Terrorizer - World Downfall (1989)
Back in '89, Terrorizer was a side project by members of Napalm Death and Morbid Angel, and they put out a Grind-meets-Death masterpiece in the form of World Downfall. This album is just great, but the stars of the show are Jesse Pintado's riffs.
Terrorizer - World Downfall
6. Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption (1990)
Here is ND's dip into more traditional Death Metal, with longer songs and more traditional structures. Some fans dislike it, but I think it shows the potential of the crew trying something new, making for a great listening experience. The sound is still muddy, though...
Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption
7. Napalm Death - Utopia Banished (1992)
Couldn't miss the brit's swift return to Grind after Harmony Corruption, could I? It's really funny how they had to release a comeback album only 4 records in, but that's the way it was and there's nothing to complain about if you get this very good album. Utopia Banished is not on the same level as FOAD or Scum, but it still is an elongated (41 minutes!) Grind attack on your eardrums.
Napalm Death - Utopia Banished
2006
The Grindcore Machine Rolls On
8. Napalm Death - Smear Campaign (2006)
For starters, at this point ND were already writing mostly deathgrind songs, so the running time of this record is stretched to 45 minutes, viciously assaulting all the eardrums in sight. The biggest surprise I had was how clear the sound was, making me an instant fan of this production.
Napalm Death - Smear Campaign
9. Napalm Death - Time Waits for No Slave (2009)
Proudly carrying on the tradition of Smear Campaign, TWFNS is stretched like a god-damn rubber band to 51 minutes, which would be unnatural even for an all-out Death album, let alone a Grind one. The songs are still A material, as it's expected from the British gang at this point, and the experience is even more fulfilling given the extra minutes in the running time.
Napalm Death - Time Waits for No Slave
10. Wormrot - Dirge (2011)
Now this, this is a late prototype of the Grind album. Full-on insanity drenched in brutal riffs and indistinguishable vocals, all in 25 god-damned songs that span... 18 minutes. This is still a memorable album, really. Don't be sad because it lasted for so little, smile because it happened.
Wormrot - Dirge
11. Clitgore - The Final Cuntdown (2014)
We're entering weird grind zone, guys... If you enjoy flying dildos at the live show, Clitgore are the pornogrind band for you. They show their sense of humor as well as their talent, with song titles as "Cum as You Are" or "Pu-Pu-Pu, La-La-La" (the Romanian word for dick) and, of course, the classic "The Final Cuntdown". These Romanian Grinders give Romania a good name, and I can't wait to see them at REF this August.
Clitgore - The Final Cuntdown
12. Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat (2015)
You already know what I think about this one, it's the 3rd fucking time Apex Predator comes around. And you know what, it really deserves it. It's not one-note like some other albums, with cuts like the title track and the stellar Dear Slum Landlord, but also everything from the riffs to the vocals is upped to 11, making a masterpiece of Grind for the years.
Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat
13. Rotten Sound - Abuse To Suffer (2016)
So... yeah, I'm sorry RS. I maybe took a big, undeserved shit on their 2016 record, but it has really grown on me. It's really brutal and, you know, grindy as fuck. They emphasize the crushing this is by frequent tempo changes and even slower parts, so it's not really a full-on attack.
Rotten Sound - Abuse To Suffer
14. Blutrina - Looney Fuckin' Grind (2016)
Do you think that Clitgore were weird? Well, out of the gutter of Romania came last year another Grind band, Blutrina. The best way to describe them is to tell you the way they show up at their concerts... every member of the band is wearing diapers only, while the vocalist has the classic bloody surgeon attire and explains how they escaped an insane asylum. Thing is, you'll probably lose your hypothetical sanity when you hear how good they are. There's also a gimmick: they use cartoon stuff in their music, but that's for you to hear.
Blutrina - Looney Fuckin' Grind
15. Wormrot - Voices (2016)
What concludes today's list and also marks the Singaporean group's return after 5 years of inactivity. Usually this means the band has run out of steam and could be a reason of concern, but Voices is on the same level of chaos as the previous masterpiece signed by Wormrot.
Wormrot - Voices
And, done. Have a grinding July, people, and hopefully we'll meet at REF.
