It’s Monday and Mondays suck, so let’s grind it out with Human Humus’ The Obligatory Struggle.
We’re keeping up with the trend of last week’s pulverizer Grind of the Dead, in that we’re keeping this brutal. However, we’re not going to get quite as dark. Not that vocalist Ižďo and Human Humus don’t have some darker views or aren’t plenty political, but man, this album is a groove-a-minute blaster. Something that has a little pep in its step while grating the listener’s face on a cinderblock.
The Obligatory Struggle is the Poprad, Slovakia grinders second full-length. And as it kicks off it with “Bureaucratic Poetry” you might not thing there’s much meat here. It goes from heavy to kinda punky and back to heavy for a little over two-minutes. But it’s a disarming thing. Something that eases you in; gets the blood pumping, and keeps things simple. But once “World Peace the Third” hits, it’s a grindcore assault.
There are those that can play to a genre and then there are those that can play to a genre well. Human Humus is in the latter category. Their riffs are sharp, their blasts are hard and they just know how to structure a song. Things are short, but memorable, with most tracks clocking in at around a minute. They’re the kind of unit that just know how to get things going. Tracks like “Bounce About (Yourself)” is a circle pit opener. It’s heavy with a strong punk flavor. Meanwhile its follow-up “Consumers Rendez-Vous” sounds like something slower off a Magrudergrind album; hard blasts, not too fast, and again, plenty of punk.
Other tracks like “The Other Side of Freedom” or “Violence Priest” are full bore attacks. Pure, blasting grind on full throttle. “Searching for Lies” is perhaps the best track on the album. As the track lurches forward it screeches to a halt and just breaks the hell down while losing no momentum. Drummer Sedrik kills it on this one.
It’s always notable when one can actually recognize that there’s bass in a grind band. Šesto (also vocals) plays some damn tasty stuff that compliments guitarist Andrej (also vocals) well. Tracks like the opener get real heavy and even funky with the bass being recognizable in the mix. Crazy, I know. Other pieces like the aforementioned “Consumer Rendez-Vous” use it to keep things tasty and tied together.
If you’re a 9-5 worker like a lot of people are, maybe the title resonates with you a little. It’s Monday, you’re (supposed to be) obligated to be there, and it’s often a struggle to get through. Well, The Obligatory Struggle is a helluva an ass-kicker. Throw this sucker on repeat and get to grinding.
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