I did not purposely plan on reviewing two bands from Portland today. It just so happened that on my “album release calendar”, the new Leathürbitch album stood out like a sore thumb, as did the latest from Soul Grinder, Filth Encrusted. Truthfully, Soul Grinder is one of those bands who has crossed my radar over the past few years, thanks in part to a tour alongside fellow PNW maniacs Sölicitör, but I’ve never gotten around to checking out. I’m not sure why. Their band name screams underground 80s, and get a load of frontmutant April Dimmick. I wouldn’t wanna mess with her!
Now before I get ahead of myself, I need to make a public service announcement: Just because a band looks cool and has a cool name, doesn’t mean they are cool. If they don’t got the tunes to back it up, they ain’t worth jack! Thankfully, this isn’t the case here, because Soul Grinder has the tunes, the riffs, and then some. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for this album than Filth Encrusted, because the raw, barbaric thrashing circa ’85 on display throughout puts those lite beer chugging, flat-brim hat wearing bozos to shame.
Channeling that unique era after thrash’s establishment from speed metal, but before it’s ultimate evolution into death metal, Filth Encrusted comes off as the radioactive spawn of Destruction’s Infernal Overkill and Megadeth’s Killing is My Business…and Business is Good!. The production is murky, yet authentically old school. Guitarist Alex Avery riffs away with reckless abandon, unleashing both feral speed (“Melting Spree”, Overload”) and ignorant two-step terror (“Siege Breaker”, “Your World is Ours”). These elements, plus drummer Kevin Ross’s demanding thrashin’ and bashin’, are accentuated by the spits, snarls, and screams of Dimmick, who sounds like a cross between Schmier and Wendy O. Williams.
Speaking of Ms. Williams, there is a strong Plasmatics influence throughout, not just within the underlying punkish aggression, but on lengthy dirges like “Plague Pilgrim” and “A Foul River”. Both of these songs, bizarrely towing the line between the ambitious and the simplistic, recall the epic metalpunk of Plasmatics classics like “The Damned” and “Lunacy”. It’s oddly specific, yes, but much appreciated. So is the breakdown oriented title track, and the finest slab of Venom worship you’ll hear all year, “Chosen”. Seriously folks, there should be laws against riffage this devilish and rockin’.
If you find yourself cynical of the stage of thrash in 2023 (and I don’t blame you if you are), cast your doubts aside. Soul Grinder are vigilantly grinding the souls of the underground masses, as well as laying your neighborhood D-grade cornball thrashers to waste (I promise there’s no pun intended…maybe). Filth Encrusted is a clinic in crazed, unhinged thrash. It ain’t the new Overkill album, but in terms of new thrash metal, this is the album to beat. So lace up your high tops, pour yourself a chalice of blood, and whatever you do, DON’T relax; THRASH to the insanity that is Filth Encrusted!
8 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Destruction, Megadeth, Sentinel Beast