WORLD EATERS - Grinding Advance (An Olde Review from the Archives)

The Sleeping Village has been around for a few years now, and during that time, a lot of reviews have unceremoniously disappeared into the dark confines of our archives, destined to never see the light of the front page again. Music appreciation, however, is a timeless affair, and in that spirit, here is a review retrieved from the depths.

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Written by: The Administrator

Asking if you are in the mood for riff-slangin' death metal born of a war-torn future is hardly a question worth asking...because of course you are. Asking if you are in the mood for some furious Bolt Thrower (and/or Warhammer 40k) worship is a similarly worthless question...because of course you are. Despite seeming somewhat niche, one-man death metal wrecking crew World Eaters carries a wide appeal. 

2021's EP--the mighty Grinding Advance--delivers a pugilistic blow befitting its source material. World Eaters has been quite prolific over the past year or so, releasing a demo and several killer splits, and I'm happy to report that this beast is a very strong showing indeed--David Gupta's best work yet, in my humble opinion. This is a release worth celebrating, so let's get to it.

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When churning ever forward on mud-splattered treads, the rhythm guitar feels simultaneously mechanical and organic--undeniably relentless in its grinding approach, yet loose in a manner that implies the work of human hands. It's not crisp, and that's a blessing. That said, the guitar's modus operandi isn't restricted to indiscriminate violence. The leads do stretch outwards, adding significant interest and dimension to World Eaters' assault--take the spacey midsection of (standout track) "Expedition/Tomb World" as a prime example. In long bursts, the in-your-face approach of the riffage would be a tad overwhelming, but everything is balanced quite nicely. The squealing bass clarinet featured on the aforementioned track only serves to add more intrigue, and ultimately keeps the song's 8 minutes and 37 seconds ridiculously fresh for, y'know, bloody war-ravaged death metal. The same could be said for the melodic and orchestral elements permeating "Escape From The Underdark." While buzzing and lurching Bolt Thrower worship is all well and good, I'm very excited to see more of these progressive and cosmic elements enter the fray.
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But guitar alone does not, I would argue, a successful death metal project make. When it comes to vocals, Gupta can stand among the best--he roars and bellows with an intensity that fits the subject matter like a glove. I do wish the monstrous vocals were a tad more forward in the mix, as they sound slightly trampled when the riffage starts-a-churning, but that's purely personal preference rather than a critique that carries any kind of significant weight. The one stylistic anomaly  is Track 4, a cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up The Hill," which features some warbly clean vox to shake things up. While certainly not the EP's strongest suit, this approach does fit the track in question nicely, particularly with the harsh backups. And, lest they be forgot, the drums are programmed but remain pretty damn convincing as a result of their presence far outside the scope of the limelight.
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​This is a mighty effort. The "I have seen war in all its forms..." soliloquy, which launches directly into deliciously pulverizing riffage, provides a potent hit straight to the headbang receptors from the onset of "Armored Spearhead (Hellhammer,)" and the fun simply doesn't stop 'til the EP is over. It's a highly enjoyable journey, and I would kill for a full album of the stuff. Besides standing tall on its own impressive merits, Grinding Advance speaks of a very promising future.

​Thus, in sum: if you're in the mood from some bombast and/or brutality with a sci-fi bite, Grinding Advance will undoubtedly serve ye well.

World Eaters - Grinding Advance was released June 18th, 2021 and can be found here.

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