“The candle snuffed out, let me fucking sleep.”
In the realm of extreme metal, deathgrind stands out as one of its most niche and abrasive subgenres. It’s characterized by its hard-hitting and rage-filled influences drawn from grind and hardcore, as well as its unapologetically brutal essence derived from its death metal roots. Foundational bands like Exhumed, Cattle Decapitation, and Napalm Death have evidently paved the way for deathgrind, a subgenre that thrives on sub-two-minute songs, hardcore grooves, and unintelligible gutturals.
Within this sonically intense landscape, where originality is a formidable hurdle, emerges the 4-piece deathgrind band, BRAT. Despite the constraints of the genre, BRAT have consistently managed to carve a unique identity for themselves, with their self-proclaimed “barbiegrind” or “bimboviolence” aesthetic serving as a defining feature of their music. Through embracing stereotypically feminine visual elements, the band juxtapose pure aggression and savagery with deceptively adorable pink packaging. Yet, beneath the surface of their striking visual presentation lies a depth of lyrical and musical content that aligns with the typical tropes of deathgrind and hardcore, ensuring that their aesthetic choices do not overshadow the substance of their work.
Now, BRAT are gearing up for a significant milestone with the upcoming release of their debut album, Social Grace. Whilst staying true to the essence of their earlier, smaller releases, this album represents more of a cohesive and definitive collection of the band’s artistic vision. It’s packed with explosive aggression compressed into short, digestible songs that adequately display the band’s sound and style, whilst also expanding on their previous ideas.
Social Grace opens with “Ego Death” – a track that plunges you headfirst into BRAT’s raw hostility and delivering an intense 80-second burst of chaotic energy. I personally love the dedication to the shorter song lengths as it does exactly what it needs to do without being drawn out and relying on extensive, or unique, song structures. Short yet impactful, it sets the tone for the rest of the record, giving you exactly what you anticipated, and exactly what you craved. Its full of ear-piercing feedback and tight drum grooves, beautifully showing off their take on hardcore.
The following track is titled “Hesitation Wound“, which was released as the album’s lead single. This song is what I would consider to be a definitive highlight of the album, showcasing the band’s versatility and raw talent. From its filthy bass tones to Liz Selfish’s gritty gutturals, “Hesitation Wound” is an overall perfect example of what their sound is all about. It combines various genre influences together with grinding guitar riffs, death metal-esque vocal styles, and explosive hardcore drumming. From the song’s introduction, there is an intense build of energy with each riff and beat that swiftly drops into the breakdown – one which is far from disappointing. It’s incredibly hard-hitting and enhanced by a bone-crushing heaviness and relentless aggression. Each chord resonates with power, each drumbeat reverberates with ferocity, and Liz Selfish‘s vocals cut through the chaos with an unyielding malice.
In terms of the production of this album, there’s an evidently realistic approach to its overall sound. Although the tracks are clearly not made up of raw audio files, Social Grace is also not “over-produced” in any sense. There’s not an extensive use of compression or time-based effects, which makes the subtle use of vocal delay at times very intriguing and more of a focal point. Moreover, the production approach used throughout this album is perfectly aligned with the modern expectations of the genre – an authentically raw sound whilst ensuring that the fidelity of the recordings remains intact. This balance between genre and production quality further enhances the album’s appeal. Also, each mix has a great sense of depth that can especially be heard in parts of the vocals and drums. This depth adds an immersive quality to the listening experience, making it as though you are experiencing the band just in front of you, rather than directly in your face.
When considering potential drawbacks, I believe there’s ample room for the band to elevate their music and make it stand out even more. Whilst they typically keep their visual aesthetics separate from their lyrical themes, I feel like this would be an interesting option to explore – adding an intriguing layer to their music and connecting both their visual and sonic ideas together. Additionally, whilst I appreciate the realistic approach to their mixes, the possible implementations of more modern processes, effects, or overall mixing techniques could raise the potential for enhancement. For instance, I believe that adding a physical abrasiveness or saturation to the vocals would allow them to really shine.
Despite these meticulous criticisms, I believe that BRAT have successfully presented their audience, and potential newcomers, with a debut album that exposes their listeners to a sonic introduction of the band and what their promising future endeavours have to offer. It’s a release that exudes an intense energy, creating an inviting environment for much needed mosh pits and two-stepping. Whilst exploring their signature “barbiegrind” aesthetic, I have full confidence that BRAT will continue to make waves in the metal scene, captivating listeners with their unique blend of aggression and charm.
7/10
Social Grace releases through Prosthetic Records on the 15th March and can be pre-ordered here: US Bandcamp, label store (UK).