Bent Sea- Noistalgia

Bent Sea is a a bit of a Metal supergroup, comprised of Dirk Verbeuren of Soilwork on drums and guitar, Devin Townsend on bass, and Aborted/System Divide vocalist Sven de Caluwe. The kind of music they perform is harsh, brutal Death Metal mixed with Grindcore, except it sounds 'sensible' as opposed to most Grindcore which is fuzzy and a bit all over the place. Some have been able to compare Bent Sea's first EP, 'Noistalgia,' as a tribute to bands like Napalm Death or even Leng Tch'e, also known for their Death Metal influences within their music such as more blast beats and a bit more groove and rhythm as opposed to just downright crushing speed and noise. While this album does include 12 tracks, it will go by quickly as many of these tracks are barely a minute line (also a staple in Grindcore). For listeners the shorter tracks may be passable such as on "Blast Beat Barrage" or "Truth Will Out" because they feel too brief or incomplete because it seems like they cut off at the wrong points. The longer tracks, however, are extremely well developed. Tracks like "Noistalgia" are more attributed to the Grindcore vein with a constant guitar presence from Dirk and Sven layering his vocals to sound as guttural and ugly as possible while making a lot more noise. The only moments of peace really are when Devin has the time to get in a few solo bass moments. Then there are other tracks like "A Common Affliction" and "Fool For Life" that are a bit longer but feature more atmosphere through the segmented chugs that touch upon Groove Metal or even some of the recent Aborted material that has been released. Those who are not used to Grindcore will probably find tracks like these much easier to enjoy due to the 'laid back' pace... at least compared to the other tracks. Despite its brief length, 'Noistalgia' is a highly enjoyable piece of Death Grind that, due to its veteran lineup, should appeal to those who enjoy either Death Metal or Grindcore, especially if they're Aborted fans.

  1. Noistalgia
  2. Digital Disaster
  3. Blast Beat Barrage
  4. A Common Affliction
  5. In One Word
  6. Grind Control
  7. Tripwire Target
  8. Sustained Idiocy
  9. Dead Meat
  10. Truth Will Out
  11. Fool For Life
  12. Bullshit Propaganda

Self released
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Dec 12, 2011
Next review: The Furor - War Upon Worship

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