It’s Monday and Mondays suck so let’s grind it out with Mass Grave The Absurdity of Humanity.
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet lately, if you’ve wont to read internet comments (generally I don’t), I think you can relate to this album title regardless of where you stand on any issue, political or otherwise. Because humanity will always prove to be simultaneously humbling and not worth saving. I do realize how insane that sounds. Go read some political forum, dictate those that you believe to be worthy of life and not, and don’t see if you find yourself both humbled and ready to hit the nuke button. Feel free to direct some of your ire at me. I really care.
Really.
Vancouver, B.C. (that’s Canada FYI) crusty grinders Mass Grave (sometimes: Massgrave) have been churning out rage since 2002. But despite their fifteen-year existence, their discography isn’t extensive. Still, there’s never a reason to force anything in music either. And Mass Grave don’t sound forced. Just endlessly pissed.
“Social Scourge” opens the album with the force of a pipe bomb. A blast, a screech, and then the band just takes off. It’s like the soundtrack to a really bad day, and it only takes a minute-thirteen to feel the tension. It grows throughout the album. Track after track there’s this mounting disgust and hatred that never feels like it gets extinguished.
I suppose it doesn’t lower the anger level any that the vocals sound like a Baron of Hell from a 90s PC Doom installment. The vicious screams and growls tear through the blasting madness with unhinged attitude. The second track “Onward” continues the crust’d onslaught. And it’s here that you should realize the sound may be grinding, but the attitude is very hardcore/punk. It’s destruction for destruction.
The Absurdity of Humanity is an album that, as explosive sounding as it is, is a culmination of influences as well. It’s nothing new to throw together crust, punk and grind. And, inherently speaking, they all stem from the punk template. Mass Grave take these and meld them together like pros. “RCMPIG” is an interesting track in how old school hardcore/punk it sounds. It might even be the most stand out song, aside from “Fascist” (due to sheer length slowness). It’s cut straight from the 80s like Zero Boys or Poison Idea.
Meanwhile, tracks like “Progress//Collapse” are pure grind. It comes on blasting like a banshee and leaves no survivors. Pure hatred, pure old school grind. And practically over before its begun. Keeping that “say what you want and get off the stage” mentality.
The Absurdity of Humanity was the album I wanted to review the most in 2016. The problem being that I didn’t hear it until after it came out, and for the longest time it carried a $420 price point (har, har). Now it’s at “name your price” but if you’re keen on this kind of music throw a few bucks their way. Mass Grave turned out some tasty crusty, grindy greatness here, but nothing less would have been expected.
FFO: Tragedy, Rotten Sound, Napalm Death
