If it is still possible to be an optimist in the current climate, and you are desperately looking for the silver lining in the Category Five hurricane that has been the year 2020, one thing we can say is that it has been a very good year for grindcore. From the old guard like Napalm Death to younger bands like Beggar extolling all the different facets of the genre, it seems that the declining prospects of our world are spurring musicians to create genuinely important and interesting art. Clearly (as far as grindcore is concerned) adversity breeds creativity. It has also brought us Patiently Waiting For Wonderful Things, a brand new EP from Corrupt Moral Altar. The first release from one of Liverpool’s finest since 2017 has certainly been worth the wait.
With five tracks in less than twenty minutes the whole thing rips along at an amazing pace, cramming as much as it can into a fractional area. With that being said, it never feels rushed or crowded; the musicianship on display is stunning; every moment of each track is as long as the song needs it to be. Patiently Waiting For Wonderful Things manages to blend riff heavy groove and flat out grinding assault, giving the EP the sense that it is walking a very delicate line between total swagger and utter filth.
Song titles like “Cathedral of Porn” and “Maximum Bastardry” show that the band don’t take themselves completely seriously – in fact there is an all pervasive feeling of pure nihilistic glee throughout the EP, like throwing a Molotov cocktail into a fireworks factory. An act of joy through complete destruction. The last two tracks take a slight diversion from this approach however; seemingly darker (if that’s possible) with but a hint of melody, they are worth the price of admission on their own.
What Corrupt Moral Altar have produced with Patiently Waiting For Wonderful Things is a short, violent burst of extreme noise that cannot fail to make you grin like an idiot while playing it. It’s one of the best EPs released in 2020, a completely glorious racket and well worth your time.
Patiently Waiting for Wonderful Things is out via APF Records on 27th November and can be ordered here.
Words: Nathan Tyler
