Rating: 8.5

Country: Sweden

Release Date: 2007

Record Label: Obscene Productions

Track list:
01. Totalkvaddad
02. Sjukast i Världen
03. Livets Svarta Tunnel
04. Våldtagen Själ
05. Om vingar Fanns
06. Flgelskrämman
07. Den Dagligen Skiten
08. Förbipasserande Lik
09. En Andra Chans
10. Magsår
11. Transparent Ondska
12. Flådd På Självkänsla
13. Hemkomst
14. Slutet Vann
15. Märkt För Livet
16. Träffad
17. Registrerad i Skräck
18. Mitt Problem, Min Huvudvärk, Mitt Liv
19. Gångavstånd Till Undergång
20. Död (För Länge Sedan )
21. Utanförskapet & Jag

Band Website: Splitter

Splitter - Avskräckande Exemplar

Fredde - Vocals
Thimmy - Guitar
Niklas - Guitar
Oskar - Drums
Fredrik - Bass

After their thoroughly corrosive EP, Ensorglig Historia, and the face disintegratin' OEF '06 performance that coincided with it, I was uncertain whether or not a whole year was enough time to retrieve and reassemble all of my pulpified cranial contents in preparation for another Splitter recordin'! It came as a relief then, that this, their latest offerin', actually contains substantial shards of melodic comfort! Of course, the same speed-besotted, grindin' characteristics are still all present and correct; rapid six-string throttlement, unsettling percussive obliteration and vokills that sound like they are being piped in directly from the tomb of Talarcyzk, but this time around the band have decided to balance them out nicely with some highly effective harmonious bits! In adding smooth chord progressions, streamlined blocks o' rhythmic judder, a few splashes of gleamin' solowork and, heck, even a bit o' piano tinklement to their material, Splitter provide lovely respite from the destructive, blast-piled onslaught, as well as adding armfuls of diversity to the disc.

The album does lob us right in at the deep end of though, openin' up with a torrent of forehead shreddin' riffery powered by lots of vigorous skin ‘n' cymbal demolition, made all the more terrifying by the sickenin' sound of bloodied vokill-cord snapment. I find it enormously rewardin' when this audio-terror gives way to the aforementioned melodic parts, ‘cos they cushion the bludgeon with soothin' lulls o' coherent catchiness. Indeed, this only serves to reinforce the subsequent blastulated clout, makin' it all the more devasating when it suddenly re-connects with my jaw, resultin' in a much more well rounded all round release than Ensorglig.... Although I was expectin' a continuation of that release (and would've enjoyed that all the same), it's nice to hear a furious, energetic Grindcore band such as Splitter testin' out new ideas, havin' a jog down a few non-Grind avenues, leavin' a multi-hued trail all the way around the block afore returnin' to their rightful grindin' abode. Whilst reaffirmin' their indubitable bluster, this new material also displays their adept ‘n' versatile song-craft and accomplished, matured musicianship.

Although classic Scandinavian Grind still has a clear influence upon the band, it'd be idle to just compare this to Nasum, Rotten Sound et al. Owing to the increased diversity within the compositions and the unexpected stylistic twists therein, Avskräckande Exemplar is the product of a colourful variety of inspirations. Although deep-seated in Grind, the work diversifies into Hardcore Punk and Crust, as well as a surprisin' smatterin' of Swedish Death and perhaps even a little splash o' Black Metal here ‘n' there too. The sheer blastulence of previous works has reduced in occurence but fortunately not in violence, now actin' as an enormous grindin' flyin' buttress to keep the showy edifice on its feet.

Where Ensorglig… was represented in such a way that it sounded like loomin', impassable drifts of fuzzy-riff snow, numerous blast-landslides and a bitin' vokill blizzard, …Exemplar has a much more minimal, clear-cut sound. Rather than have us repeatedly stagger back ‘n' forth into impenetrable guitar-track force-fields, it has a much neater, more digestible arrangement, buffin' up the appealin' subtleties of the chordwork and leads. The bass pleasantly loosens my sphincter, each bit o' the kit punctures my ears with ease and the whole thing is plastered with bright-red vokill splatches. With its scythe-like gleam, this sharp ‘n' streamlined sound is not only ideal, but vital, ‘cos a heavy-handed, fuzz-coated job would've been unacceptable for this release, smotherin' its purpose as well as stuntin' its growth.

If you're a Grind listener who also has a penchant for the more aggressive, high-speed side of Hardcore Punk/Crust, as well as a liking for the melodic end of the Death ‘n' Black spectrum, then you ought to get a lot from this release. However, if you're a blast-infatuated Grindcore purist who became a fan of Splitter ‘cos o' the raucousness of their previous output, then you may become slightly disgruntled by their new vision, but should give it a listen all the same. Overall, a high-quality modern Grindcore record with a production to match. Cheers!

October 16th, 2007