Wormrot - Abuse

Devastating, relentless, with absolutely no let up. That’s a concise and very simple description of Singaporean grindcore outfit Wormrot’s debut record, Abuse. The title of the album itself is plainly indicative too of the music’s delivery and somewhat brashness – aurally abusive.

Equipped merely with a drummer, guitarist and frenzied vocalist, Wormrot unleash a deafening and bloodthirsty cacophonous barrage across the record’s 23 tracks, clocking in at just over 20 minutes. This is grindcore as it was more or less intended – zero bullshit, swift and furious.

From the first animalistic barbarisms of 'Lost Swines' and 'Exterminate', the energy reaches, instantaneously, a fever pitch with pummelling drumming, gritty riffs and throat corroding vocals.

While in essence all is a tad simplistic, not once does Abuse become disconcertingly repetitive. In its unforgiving nature holds your attention from the get go, something only the best band grind bands can do and do well. But a few spanners are thrown in the works. There’s an unholy 43 second re-working of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 'Rich'. 'Fuck… I’m Drunk!' has what could almost be considered a ‘clean riff’ and 'Murder' comes bounding with catchy gang vocals.

Not since Nasum breathed new life into the genre twelve years ago with the groundbreaking Inhale / Exhale, and to a degree, Insect Warfare’s World Extermination (2007), has grindcore sounded so fresh, exciting and invigorating. Wormrot’s Abuse can purely be called a belter of neck wrecking proportions.

8/10