Grevia from Palermo, Sicily, are newcomers with this debut EP. They don't play thrash metal, or power metal, as are often associated with Italy, but death metal mixed with grindcore. These two components appear in size range roughly fifty-fifty. However, they stick to grindcore song lengths, so this joy lasts for under 13 minutes.

If you dig it fast and relentless, Grevia offer modern-sounding barrage with one foot in old times. The death metal parts are technical, reminding of fast fretboard runs of Dying Fetus, but there's also some tremolo riffing and heavy riff fire assault. Discordant guitar playing (not a big fan of this style) sound perhaps bit like Brutal Truth, but Grevia cannot hit their level of madness, even though this is not your regular Joe music! Hardcore power chords are another grindcore trait.

While mainly the band is fast, or faster, there are some very tasty slower and mid-paced moments, truly putting the band's heaviness to the front. The drumming is transforming; there's D-beats, blast beats, double kick drum driven stuff, cool tom rolls and cymbal workouts. Vocals are rhythmic and powerful bear growling, and a bit more higher yet not quite shrieky growl. Double style, like legends teached...

This EP should be taken more like one song, because some of the songs feel incomplete, just parts of something bigger. The again, we are not talking about basic rock song compostions when it's grindcore anyway. It is delivered with exploding energy. The sound is clear for this kind of music, letting all the nuances show.

So it's meant to destroy, and it does that. It's not "use once and destroy", though, more like "use once and be destroyed". It really hasn't got a ability to stick, but yeah, should kickstart your brain. Hence the title.

Rating: 6+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
01/06/2021 20:44