Phobia – Remnants of Filth
Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn’t have fucked with?
That’s me.
Thirty-four seconds into grindcore grandfathers Phobia’s latest, this quote from Grand Torino couldn’t be more appropriate, as Walt Kowalski’s threatening wordsready you for the ear-bleeding onslaught you are about to experience. Grindcore enthusiasts need no introduction to these Orange County stalwarts, Phobia being one of the most important and prolific grind groups for the last twenty-odd years, and even if for some reason they are no longer on your radar, put them back on it right now; all that you love about grindcore checks off the list with this recording: gruff barks, suffering squeals, short songs, left-leaning socio-political statements, and humor (I dare you to not chuckle at the sermon sample preluding ‘Let it Go’). True, nothing new here, but Shane McClanahan’s authentic hardcore interpretation of grind’s tenets serve to rise Phobia, once again, above the fodder. You’ll take no notice upon the fact that founder Shane McClanahan for the first time chose not play guitar on the album, while songs such as ‘Assertion to Demean’ and ‘Dementia Having Overdose’ pummel what’s left of your senses right out of your head. While volcanic-flow riffs and a tiny smackerel of short six-string melody lines break up the blasts now and again for breathing room, make no mistake, this is pure grind, with no song longer than a minute-and-a-half (extra credit: find the super-quick single cowbell hit somewhere on ‘Filthy Fucking Punks’). Not that you’ll really take note of the brevity either, as the aggression spews forth from each track with such intensity you’ll be clamoring for the silent gaps dividing them. Scott Hull’s (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) Clorox-clean production serves Phobia well as his work has in the past, with every note unburied and force-fed. Grind honed to a fine edge, Remnants of Filth will demand a long-term lease in your audio player of choice. -Jim
-Hammerheart/Willowtip
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