Convulsions – Grindcore Not War

Artist: Convulsions

Title: Grindcore Not War

Release: LP / Digital

Year: 2023

Label: RSR, Hecatombe Records

Convulsions are one of the most prominent anti-fascist grindcore bands in recent times, active since 2016 when they released their first self-titled EP, which definitely shook up the scene with its raw old-school sound and unapologetically militant anti-capitalist political messages combined with rarely seen (at least for this scene) technical proficiency. After that, they did a couple of splits with cult Spanish contemporaries Disturbance Project and other promising newer bands like Insect Terror and Six-Score, played a lot of live shows and festivals, including the 20th anniversary of Obscene Extreme (which has its own compilation featuring their song “Sonito y Barato”).

Convulsions began to receive international attention from niche aficionados of extreme music as one of Spain’s brightest grindcore hopes, along with other new bands from the country such as Vilmort, Bisturi, and Horrible. It is safe to say that Spain is one of, if not the, grind capital of the world with the amount of talent it has produced since the ’80s. In March 2023, Convulsions released their first full-length album entitled Grindcore Not War on Hecatombe Records and RSR Records. The record was mixed and mastered by Alvaro Zamora at Toxic Noise Studio in February 2023, and the various instruments, including the vocals, were recorded at various locations (Trigger Sound Studio and bassist Binky’s home in Oslo) during the period between 2021 and 2022, while we were still dealing with the global corona pandemic.

Lyrically, Grindcore Not War explores interesting topics such as mental health issues, depression, isolation, nihilism in the face of the seemingly immortal capitalist neoliberal order, misanthropy and other introspective themes, while still maintaining its strict anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist and anti-religious messages, which are delivered quite directly in the band’s typical bold, striking lyricism. With a gruesome cover art depicting what appears to be a couple of gallows with people hanging from them, the lyrical narrative fits very well. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a photo showing victims of the brutal Francoist regime, which will never be forgotten or forgiven by Spain’s many anarchists and anti-fascists—this album is a great testimony to that.

Grindcore Not War is the absolute epitome of a perfectly executed grindcore album. Picking up where they left off with their previous releases, the band managed to push the vicious brutality to the max, reaching an almost transcendental sonic state of exquisite noise explosion, making this record a landmark for the genre as a whole and a definite apogee for them. Hector delivers a strikingly raw guitar tone and ferocious, catchy riffs with no filler whatsoever. The rhythm section is almost unmatched with the impeccable wild blastbeats and d-beats of Samu and the tireless and heavily distorted bass of Binky. The wicked vocal abilities of Campos range from deep guttural growls to the highest hellish screams possible (with the help of friends Elva and Chris for backing vocals). All of this is perfectly composed and crafted, making this record an instant classic. It is comparable and often reminiscent of Insect Warfare’s World Extermination or Death Toll 80k’s Harsh Realities, both of which are undisputed pinnacle of the genre. We should definitely thank Alvaro Zamora and Toxic Noise Studio for making this piece of beautiful brutality sound so great and accomplished.

Of course there is an obvious influence from Spain’s very own grind scene. The guitar and vocal technique often reminds us of Denak, Violent Headache, Proyecto Terror, Disturbance Project, Looking for an Answer and other classics of the genre, even compositionally there are some interesting similarities that dedicated grind freaks will surely recognize after a few spins of the album. Currently, there aren’t many bands in the DIY scene as promising and hard-working as Convulsions. With their full-length debut, they once again show what serious dedication to the scene and craft can accomplish when the right people are involved. 22 anti-systemic hymns full of anger, frustration, misanthropy, nihilism, but also the desire to persist and fight back with a rarely seen militancy, despite all the gnarly fluidity of capital and its attempt to trap us into never-ending consumerism and a trance-like state of surrendered “contentment” (which is another important topic they touch on lyrically).

Support the band via their official Bandcamp page or via Hecatombe or RSR Records—they certainly deserve it, and if you’re looking for raging anti-capitalist political grindcore, expect nothing but excellence.

Source: diyconspiracy.net