“You can’t stand being around me.”
Cybergrind, for all of the niches coming out of the underground community, steadfastly remains among the most promising in terms of mainstream penetrability. Much of the spotlight was rightfully on Blind Equation back in July, so it’s only fitting that bottom surgery should bookend this year with a sensory overload showcase of their own. At lucky LP number seven, cold summer, longtime soloist Alyce Smith has recruited Stefan Iglesias for this latest venture. As some are probably aware, Smith and Iglesias also make up half of Coma Witch and A Year In Black & White, if any preconceived concerns about the quality of not just cold summer, but bottom surgery’s discography in totality were in question. EDMers and scene kids alike will find plenty to revel in with bottom surgery’s newest shelling, potential overstimulation notwithstanding.
There’s a fair bit of merit behind cybergrind coinciding with the unofficial nomenclature of ADHDcore, yet that will likely end up being the crux of cold summer’s appeal. Simply put, there’s a shit ton happening simultaneously on this album, with only one true instance of decompression coming on closer “see, you know”. If you’ve been searching for something with the speed of Napalm Death, the industrial elements of modern-day Motionless In White, and the electro-ambient aspects of SvddenDeath, strap in. “casualty”, the titular track, and “i like you so much, but you want to see me in the ICU” will ostentatiously kick things off for some, but appropriately set the ton for many others.
Sonically, there’s always something heating up in cold summer’s chamber; it’s just a matter of delivery. Whether that’s inducing a Cyberpunk-adjacent killing spree, or initiating a blood-drenched rave mosh, cold summer, at times, leans into one extreme or the other. “coma witch 2065” and “you hate me” will resonate more with EDM idealists, whereas “are you thinking of harming yourself or others?” is likely to make grindcore sympathizers go feral. If you stand on either side of the cross-genre Venn diagram, or in its intersection, the only way not to find something to appreciate is if your ears are stapled shut.
The abrasive mix is intentional, making the build-ups and drops effectually shattering. Crybergrind’s penchant for raw production is essentially a badge of honor at this point, exacerbating the likelihood that purists of EDM and grind will abandon preferential tendencies and soak in every second. It may be the addition of Iglesias or Smith’s involvement with Coma Witch and A Year In Black & White, or both, but cold summer, comparatively to bottom surgery’s previous efforts, amalgamates antithetical underpinnings of electronic music with the pavement-scraping of grindcore more poignantly.
Despite its predisposition for chaos, cold summer is not all killer. Closing passages “alyce in hell” and “see, you know” evoke the spirit of synthwave atmosphere, albeit with a sprinkle of cybergrind rudiments, nonetheless. Some may be looking for a record that leaves the pedal on the floor from start to finish, but bottom surgery’s decision to end cold summer on a lighter note is a fruitful juxtaposition from the former bulk of the record. Tonnage counterbalance might be a subjective point of contention for cold summer, but its crisp structure and ability to sound good no matter the mass is an indisputable truth.
Fast, but knowing when to oscillate its pace and weight, cold summer culminates every ounce of hard work Smith has put in for the last couple of years to hone her cybergrind craft. With welcome assistance from Iglesias, bottom surgery is primed to be the next titan of this ever-growing sub-genre. Above all, there are no indicative signs that their pace will lessen, nor any inkling that their successive iterations won’t outclass what came before it.
9/10
cold summer independently releases on December 5 through all streaming platforms.