Sweden's grindcore scene is getting vital again, the recent Gadget album and forthcoming Regurgitate albums are documents of extraordinary grindcore and Exhale from Sweden are heading into the same direction with head spining fast grindcore mixed up with death metallic pieces. Four of the fourteen songs even feature Swedish lyrics. When I heard the opener "Besviken Igen" I was irritated by the 'noisy' sound but after a few listenings I can tell you the song feels just like a kick in the stomach, but the best is still to come. Beside the usual fast forward grinding pieces Exhale incorporated a few experimental parts featuring dissonant guitar riffs and driving drumming. Well-placed interludes between the fast attacks. The first song also offers a nice battle of screamed and grunted vocals. Beside fast death metal parts "Decapitate" contains shaking mid-tempo mosh piece which is the perfect addition to this death metal song! The follower "Hatet" opens with playfully guitar riffing and significant drumming, I love this song already because of this start but the rest of the song also offers great grinding death metal with crunching guitar riffs. What I really like about Exhale's sound is the healthy combination of grindcore and mid-tempo death metal, they slow down with pummelling or dissonant riffs and speed up again with unholy fast grind! For a grind band they come up with outstanding and surprising guitar lines and drumming! Like at the end of "The Lie" they suddenly slow down with math riffs and diffuse drumming, for a grind record this is really experimental but it fits perfectly together! At the next song "Voices" they grind fast ahead without remorse right from the start with high screamed and deep grunted vocals. While "Bussen Till Helvetet Pt. 1" contains only movie clips "Bussen Till Helvetet Pt. 2" is another mindless grind assault. I can recommend this album to every fan of grind and death metal, I can't wait to listen to their next album!
marcel - 25/09/2006