Review artwork - Eardelete - Zombielogy CD

Rating: 8.2

Country: Czech Republic

Release Date: 2007

Track list:
1. Zombie Powers
2. D A D
3. Craving For Human Flesh
4. D O D
5. Weaknesses [mp3]
6. Dissect Morgue Corpse Suppurate
7. Contamination
8. Ulcer Ulceration Ulcerative Colitis
9. Walking Dead

Band Website: Eardelete

Eardelete - Zombielogy

Robocop - Guitar
Paul - Evil Frogs and Pigs
Brain - Guitar
Buraak - B-ass
Misa - Drums

While the goregrind earthlings were busy with the cannibalistic emulation of its popular bands, Negligent Collateral Collapse sneaked into the NASA base, stole a rocket and subsequently levitated their asses in space, far, far above the pathetic competition of the clones. It was from over there that N.C.C. launched their definitive album Reprocess Segment Database Extender. The grind world swooned and stayed up nights to catch a glimpse of its otherworldly greatness. Basking in the glory of their celestial attention, N.C.C. however, didn't take into account the dreaded and highly contagious interstellar virus CIV (Cyborg Immunodeficiency Virus) which ultimately infected them when one of the band members exposed his backside while taking a dump in space. Consequently, the cyborg transformation process got initiated, and it was evident on the artwork of their slightly dysfunctional and mechanical second launch Paranormal Nanodivision. It was just when N.C.C. reached the final stage of their disease that their suggestively titled third launch, Sick Atoms, took place. A sedated, unexciting album that not many including me could appreciate given their illustrious history, it sounded like the cyborgs performing on weak batteries. N.C.C., as the world knew it, died soon after. Many cows including mine bellowed in mourning, though not too dramatically.

In 2007, the members of N.C.C. woke up from the dead in the form of mechanical zombies and went around calling themselves Eardelete. Whatever. What matters is that their unique futuristic goregrind music is alive in one form or the other. Comparatively, Zombielogy has the most fleshed out riffs from either of their incarnations, no longer spread over 20 stunted songs, but nine lengthy and fully accommodating ones. The music is less rigid, more dynamic, and even has a sentient quality to it, perhaps due to the noticeable presence of flesh slapped on their robotic bodies just like Terminator. Lyrically, Eardelete elucidate the zombie phenomenon, highlighting their powers and behavioral patterns, as if we didn't know already. Though their music sounds laboured at times, the cows will begin lactating profusely learning that the mechanical zombie's movements are no longer as lethargic as their moribund predecessor. Think of the speedy zombies in the Dawn of the Dead remake as opposed to the older conventional ones.

Being a grind fan, if you haven't heard of N.C.C., you ought to be ashamed and pelted with cow dung. It is too late in their discography to describe their sound, but in a contemptuous half-hearted attempt to do so, I would insist you think of them as a futuristically warped and numbed out version of Gut, Carnivorous Erection Regurgitate and groovy Cock and Ball Torture possessing the deftness of Squash Bowels, the tenacious temperament of Dead Infection and bombastic beats of Rompeprop. On Zombielogy, the drone of the guitar is louder and denser than ever, almost at par with that of Bile, sounding like the insistent revving of a heavy moon buggy turned turtle. Some of the riffs on Zombielogy have an incisive and ominous quality to them, which is reminiscent of the ones in Pigsty's Pigs are Back album. In an unprecedented situation, Eardelete's extensive song structuring and also a few of their riffs are found to be similar to that of the death metal bands - for example the grating oppressiveness of Grave in “Dissect, Morgue, Corpse, Suppurate”. These songs along with a couple more towards the end feature dirgeful sequences with undertones of melody. At such times you have to remind yourself you're listening to a goregrind band. Of course, that's not too difficult as these segments are unfailingly juxtaposed with their typical lurching grooves, infectiously catchy beats and quirky riffs, not to mention their ridiculous animal kingdom vocals. Having done that, Paul's genre-defining vocals sound like the croaks of frogs and squeals of pigs that seem to be recorded over an amplified microphone that is fitted to their bodies by their voyeuristic government during their mating season; the vocal inflection will astound you.

Zombielogy is, without any alien shadow of doubt, light years better than N.C.C.'s Sick Atoms and comes close to challenging Paranormal Nanodivision. It however doesn't touch the luminosity of the N.C.C. debut R.S.D.E, which might not be as sophisticated, but like the Ahumado Granujo debut, stands out because of its sheer catchiness and effective application. While their approach on Zombielogy is interesting, Eardelete should be wary of not slackening and losing momentum as is often the case on this album. A reconsideration of having shorter, more sprightly and punchy songs shouldn't be out of order. Still, Zombielogy is a refreshing and innovative album by a band that is almost as delectable in its second incarnation.

July 25th, 2007