Unsung #3: Leng Tch'e / Fuck the Facts split

The Grind That Annoys is jumping on the bandwagon of regular posts on underrated records. Hell, why not? Unsung will take a look at those albums, EPs, demos or whatever that are largely overlooked, whether it’s a discarded gem in the catalogues of legends or the finest hour of an underground band with a fan base countable on one hand. This instalment looks at…

Leng Tch'e / Fuck the Facts split 7"/CD

First off, apologies! It’s been quite a long time since the last Unsung post. This is due to a number of reasons but better late than never, right? The third instalment is looking at a split release from 2008 that I adore, which brought together Canadian experi-grinders Fuck the Facts and Belgian grindcore band Leng Tch’e.

Fuck the Facts are not a band that could ever be called lax, the rather prolific Canadian grind band have churned out several full-lengths and countless splits and EPs since their formation over 10 years ago, coming to another impressive climax last year with the full-length Die Miserable. This split 7” with Belgium’s rather excellent grindcore outfit Leng Tch’e may be the band’s finest short collection of tunes for a split. Both bands have always delivered the goods and in fact, it was because of this split released in 2008 that got me into Fuck the Facts having previously been into Leng Tch’e for a little bit.

The Belgians’ four cuts are some premium grind assaults borrowing techniques from Scandinavian grind with some judicial flavours of melody. It’s important to see where this release stands in Leng Tch’e’s catalogue. Previously being with Relapse Records (where Fuck The Facts were label mates), the band left soon after this 7” and it would be the band’s final release (of new material) with the label, with the exception of The Hand That Strangles compilation. Come 2010 and the band’s next full-length, Hypomanic, they would find a new home with Season of Mist, expanding on the foundations laid down by this 7”.

Fuck the Facts really stand out though with their melody-heavy grind that isn’t really grind… ahem… what I mean is the band, at their core, are still a grind band for sure but have allowed some many different styles into their sound whether it’s influences like that of death metal or metalcore, their sound has morphed into something else. As proof, ‘Like Yesterday’ opens their side and treads on the grandiose before pummelling through some barbaric tracks, and closes with the eerily melodic ‘My Failures (Just Like Yesterday)’. The band takes us through all the different spanners they’ve been throwing in the works, something which really came to fruition with Die Miserable.

Oddly, there was a CD release which featured more songs from each band than on the 7”.