Evolution Through Revolution (CD - 2009)

Recording information: Volume Studios; Watchmen Studios.

Photographer: Scott C. Kinkade.

Formed by Nuclear Assault bassist Danny Lilker at the start of the 90s, New York's Brutal Truth spent the decade redefining grindcore before entering hibernation at the end of the decade. Now, after a decade at peace, Brutal Truth has returned in full ferocious form. Far from a limp reunion effort, EVOLUTION THROUGH REVOLUTION is as full on as the band's prime material. Off-kilter arrangements like the spastic "Daydreamer" and stabbing "Sugar Daddy" combine grind's unstoppable blast beats with hardcore punk dynamics and grit. Though many songs clock in at or around a minute, there are several longer tracks like "Afterworld" which play with song-structure in ways that hint at maturity and experience while still remaining unbelievably heavy. The larger world will still view this as noise, but it's a master class in controlled chaos.

You can always count on Brutal Truth to deliver some good ol' fashioned grindcore with each successive release. And the chaps stay true to their game plan with their 2009 offering, Evolution Through Revolution. Equally fierce and brutal, Evolution Through Revolution is chock-full of whiplash-inducing "zero to 60" tempos, guttural growls, noise guitar, airtight drumming, etc. As with most true grindcore bands, all the cacophony starts blending together after a while -- you'd have to be an extreme metal connoisseur (or a member of the band) to be able to decipher the different tracks. But Brutal Truth were one of the early grindcore purveyors, and to their credit, they're still thrashing away as intensely as ever (nearly 20 years after first forming), as evidenced throughout the frantic Evolution Through Revolution. ~ Greg Prato minimize