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Release Date: 2007 Record Label: Khaaranus Records Track list:
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Rubufaso Mukufo / Opitz Split - Underclass / Self Titled |
Rubufaso Mukufo are: Dan Vajico - Guitar |
Opitz are: Putti - rev |
This split is symbolic of the resurgence of the Czech grind scene whose image has taken quite a beating after several of its flagship bands allowed themselves to be shamelessly influenced by nu-metal and hardcore. Scene veterans Cerebral Turbulency are one of them. After releasing a promising EP of condensed grind fury, Germ of Error, all that their eager fans got to hear on the following full length, Crash Test, was hardcore/nu-metal fuelled groovy quasi-grind. Another band that bit the dust are Contrastic. After winning accolades in the underground for their highly refreshing eccentricity, rumour has it they got so carried away that their post Self Titled material doesn't sound even remotely close to grind. Sucks, but what's all that got to do with this split? Well, after being haunted endlessly every night by the moans of their dissatisfied fans, members of Cerebral Turbulency and Contrastic woke up one fine day and formed their own respective new bands, the ones on this split, to play grindcore the way they were supposed to play.
Rubufaso Mukufo is the band with members of Cerebral Turbulency. Their turbogrind music will not splinter your skull with a sharp, tinny sound, rather like brutes they will dent it in and permanently deform it as if it were a baby doll's head whose eyes would then roll as much as they want inside the mangled head without annoying anyone. Underclass sounds like the missing link between the blistering grind music on Germ of Error and the suddenly beefed up, sluggish and bass-heavy sound of Crash Test (minus the fancy nu-groove influences), a link so awesome that it felt it didn't deserve to be a part of the CT lineage, and coming to think of it, very rightly so. Throw in equal parts of the persistent earth-scraping grindcore of Needful Things [review] or Terrorizer and the swift, jangling grind of Ingrowing [review], and that would round off the winning sound of Rubufaso Mukufo, contemporary and fucking heavy. In action, their songs are an organised chaos of pulsating rhythms, pressurised hoarse vocals, and calculated percussion abuse. Forcefully executed and with a cohesive sound, from far it would look as though the band members are fighting within a dust cloud. What is most remarkable about Rubufaso Mukufo is their ability to provide fine Czech variations, including the daftgrind ones, without short-changing their aggressive we-mean-business demeanour – almost every song sounds different from the last one you hear without faltering in its intensity, which results in a riveting, overwhelming and painful listen. This is solid, ball-busting grindcore. <8.1>
Opitz is the snazzy band with members of Contrastic, a criminally overlooked gem of a grind band that took my foul breath away when I first heard it. Even now when I'm out of breath mints, I listen to their Self Titled full-length and it does the job just as well. That's because Contrastic weaved some completely offbeat and refreshingly irregular parts in its grind music. Weird electronic samples and unsettling segments, rare beautiful leads, momentum warping tunes, and wacky mermaid imagery and presentation set them far apart from their grindclone peers. So how does Opitz sound in comparison with Contrastic? Honestly, although Opitz's music is vividly reminiscent of Contrastic, it is not a patch on the adorable quirkiness quotient of the latter. Then again, Opitz is considerably heavier and faster, and their subdued quirkiness is of a different nature. Here the distinct eccentric parts are mostly in the form of dirge-laden crusty sequences reminiscent of Remains of the Day – not as unique as those of Contrastic, but they work well enough. Sounds of the Animal Kingdom Brutal Truth has remained the biggest influence for the band members, and for a fuller realisation of the band's sound you could infuse some of the hardcore-tinged grind that is comparable to the Pigsty material on the latter part of Pigs Are Back. Overall, Opitz play good, delectable grind that is any day better than the cliched ones, but I was left wanting for more from the band particularly in the eccentricity department, which has sadly experienced a significant cutback because of the reinforcement in the band's heaviness and intensity. Still, it wouldn't be wrong on our part to expect great things from Opitz in the future. <7.5>
January 10th, 2008
    
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