Escuela Grind is kicking off 2024 with a new EP that proves they can do whatever the fuck they want, and do it extremely well.
Escuela Grind's latest EP DDEEAATHHMMEETTAAL is the third installment of their EP series that explores into the genres that most influence the band – the first two being GGRRIINNDDCCOORREE and PPOOWWEERRVVIIOOLLEENNCCEE in 2020. As you'd imagine, DDEEAATHHMMEETTAAL takes a swandive into the bloody, vomit-riddled world of modern death metal with all the power and conviction of a band whose full-time job it is to live there.
Long story short, DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL will wreck you. Whether it's the stop-and-start beatdown of "Punishment Ritual", the call-to-destroy live staple of "Ball And Chain", or even the throat-shredding-goodness of Napalm Death frontman Barney Greenway on the single "Meat Magnet", there's not an ounce of fat on this thing.
DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL succeeds on a few levels, first and foremost being its brevity. The EP clocks in around 13 minutes, leaving you just enough time to wonder what the hell happened before hitting play again. It does not overstay its welcome or devolve into anything meandering – every song gets in, breaks all your teeth in roughly three minutes, and gets out. It certainly helps that despite these brief run times, Escuela Grind effortlessly alters tempos and feels in a way that keeps everything as fresh as possible.
Then there's the fact that DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL comes from a genuine place of love for the genre. This doesn't feel like a band that's making a death metal EP to pay homage to the bands they love, so much as it does a band that strips away the rest of their sound to only showcase the death metal aspect. Escuela Grind knows what they're doing, is extremely good at it, and is here to show you. Period.
And finally, Escuela Grind plays the absolute shit out of this EP. There's no way that at least one snare wasn't broken or a whole set of strings had to be tossed due to excess blood. Escuela Grind is hitting hard and consistently throughout the entirety of DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL with zero reprieve.
DDEEAATHHMMEETTAALL is worth your time, your repeated listens, and all the bruises you will likely incur.
