Every now and again a release comes out that bypasses the brain and goes straight for the gut; a blast of noise that just presses your big red button and makes you want to smash things. The Road Ahead, the latest EP by the Phoenix grindcore band Woundvac, is one such a release.
I don’t know what is going on in Arizona at the moment but that state has produced some particularly brutal music lately. Woundvac seem to have been really affected by the heat too, as they have created a disgusting blend of grindcore, death metal and hardcore, delivered with the weight and intensity to break houses.
What you get with The Road Ahead is just what is desired from a grindcore EP. It’s a very lean jolt of music; five songs in ten minutes. It rocks up, kicks your teeth down your throat and then leaves. A pure blast of grind then it’s gone. It doesn’t over stay its welcome and delivers exactly what is required. The musicianship is first class, monstrously heavy and razor sharp. Not including the introduction every track here is a winner and if the final track ‘Institutional Bloodshed’ doesn’t make you want to kick a hole in a wall then there is something wrong with you. The Road Ahead is a worthy follow up to last year’s Terrorizing The Swarm and makes this writer genuinely excited for the future of this band.
The Road Ahead is out now via Corpse Flower Records and can be purchased here.
Words: Nathan Tyler
