Jig-Ai - Self-titled album review artwork

Rating: 8.9

Country: Czech Republic

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
01. Japanese Gut-Cake
02. Sounds of Body Sinuses
03. Geisha's Sucks European Cocks
04. Hn-Islam
05. Ninja Gangbang
06. Adventure on the Boat
07. Injectator Kruto
08. Fresh Manga Flesh
09. Vogelgrippe-n
10. Pec Nam Spaoloa Vs Skakal Pes
11. Phimosiectomy Made by Scrub-Slasher
12. Suffocated Between Gigantic Udders
13. Sadomasochistic Practises Manual
14. Hanger in Her Neck
15. Extruding Testicles Through Garlic Press
16. Gourmet's Specialities of Necrozoophil
17. La Ley de Plomo (Brujeria cover)
18. Final Cu(n)t

Band Website: Jig-Ai

Jig-Ai - Self-titled

Buraak - Vokills, Soprano
Stefy - Drums
Brain - Guitars, Tenor

Perfect! Of the current crop of Czechgrind acts, Jig-Ai are my favourite; merging my favourite elements of my favourite albums by my favourite bands. Because I was unfortunate enough to miss their much-lauded performance at Obscene Extreme '06 whilst I dined at the charming restaurant near the entrance to Na Bojisti, I simply couldn't wait to hear this, their debut album. It's an immaculate illustration of gig-friendly Goregrind, full o' enormous chug-outs, hedonistic groove, roaring low-end and spectacular vokills! Perhaps unavoidably, Jig-Ai is stylistically akin to Sealing off the Vagina by Sewer Lid by another Buraak project, Destructive Explosion of Anal Garland, in that it is replete with rapid, blast-packed, cranium powdering verses, crowned with enormously simple yet implausibly infectious choruses, placing even more emphasis on the latter to create this extremely addictive material.

Custom-built for a live setting, the grindin' intention of each number is mapped in a lucid, practical manner, using clear verse/chorus structures whose viscous, molten rhythms provoke the bustin' of some extremely silly slam-pit barn-dance moves. Downtuned to the point of slackened string trip hazard, the guitars deliver a continuous flow of cyclical crunch-chrome, pulverising your jaw to smithereens with riff after unforgettable riff; each of which is a prehistoric ol' chugment chestnut, brought together in faultless arrangements that provide maximum catchiness. Every phrase is based firmly on primitive, bulldozin' chug-end, so the occassional sprinklin ' of mockin' solo-string licks and a pinch of pinch harmonic adds welcome variety. Downtuned to the point of loosened string ankle tangle, the bass is also hugely distorted, probably played using the fingers in order to maximise the fuzz-sizzle coagulation, adding gleamin' galvanisation to the lovely stout riffs. 'Cos it's robust, solid and well-rounded, the drumming doesn't attempt to bowl you over with unremitting snare-hits and incessant high-tempo, nor does it over-indulge in blast-pattern intricacy or inapt double-kick placement. Given the scene in which Jig-Ai is heavily embroiled, the vokill-sound is of course highly predictable. Nevertheless, they put it to practised 'n' proficient use, acheivin' some sickening, borborygmic gutturals, lifelike pig impersonations, along with occasional soggy inhales (?) and infrequent, hoarse shoutin'. 'Cos of their undeniable vokill anti-talent, I would've thought it unnecessary to use any effects other than reverb, but the band opt to frequently drench the already moist glottal-vomits in pitchshift. Ultimately, this enhances their already colourful vokill portfolio, allowin' them to plaster the tracks in all manner of diaphragmal gut-muck and laryngeal rot.

Aside from soundin' akin to their Czechgrind brethren and own side-projects, the work is a bit like a hybrid of recent Lord Gore and mid Last Days of Humanity, buildin' similar hulkin' riff monoliths to those heard on the excellent Resickened, combinin' em with the caveman arrangement 'n' brusque delivery of the LDOH split with Cock and Ball Torture, Choked in Anal Mange. It's extremely lazy to compare this to the rest of the scene, but given its Buraak input and Brain Sound Labs production job, there's no escapin' similarities to Destructive Explosion of Anal Garland and Negligent Collateral Collapse. Specific tracks sound like direct nods to significant Gore albums of the last few years, showin' a strong fondness for the classick Surgical Disembowelment by Dead Infection, the jagged Regurgitate chug-fest Deviant, Opussy IV by CBT and Squash Bowels career highlight, The Mass Sickening.The Mass Rotting. Just afore the writhing grindscape album closer, the band chuck in a lovely Brujeria cover, draggin' the knuckle-draggin' Mexican drugbarons into new depths of chugalong caveman callousness. In imitating such a blatant selection of bands, Jig-Ai are so derivative you'd think they couldn't possibly string together a worthwhile album. However, everything Jig-Ai lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with flawless arrangements, vigorous delivery, superlative production job and plenty of Czech-charm. Extremely well mixed 'n' mastered, the production captures Jig-Ai seamlessly, retaining every ounce of their impermeable groove and sheer bulkiness, carryin' out the tricky representation of the vokills with aplomb, allowing them to sit comfortably at the front alongside the guitars instead of plonkin' them awkwardly on top. A bit of clever FX trickery on the guitar track makes for a sleek 'n' diverse sound, adding subtle delay to some of the higher frequencies, which gives them clarity in amongst the unbroken low-end chug-flow.

A lot of previous Porno/Goregrind and a few Brutal Death acts have often used obscene Japanese illustrations of unfortunate slit-gut splatter scenarios, but Jig-Ai take the convention to the next stage, using Hentai themes and imagery as a concept for their song-titles, logo, cover art, and inlay images, even the pics in their line-up info.

Overall, this is marvellous Goregrind. Jig-Ai borrow a sizeable bundle of familiar riffs 'n' rhythms from big ol' pile o' household Grind names afore assemblin' them into hugely satisfyin' songs, managin' to make the filch-heap sound fresh from the oven all over again! Concrete-solid Czechgrind coated in a thick 'n' gooey Japanese glazin'. Yum! Purchase.

May 15th, 2007