Cripple Bastards - Desperately Insensitive
Obscene Productions - O.B.P.064 - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
"Controversial hategrind since 1988" runs the slogan at the top of Italian hardcore/grind merchants Cripple Bastards official website - and from that succinct description, you very nearly have all you need to know about the band. Lyrical topics ranging from the overtly political to the nightmarishly disturbing, album artwork depicting heroin abuse, and a tight, aggressive blend of old-school hardcore punk structures and all-out grinding chaos. What you won't get from that slogan is the information you need regarding this particular disc - a re-release of the first Cripple Bastards album to actually have a decent mix, complete with practically another (grind) album's worth of live material taken from the group's performance at the Obscene Extreme Festival in 2003.
If you're familiar with the album, you know damn well what to expect here - song lengths ranging from 'Idiots Think Slower''s perfunctory thirty seconds to the comparitively epic four minutes and twenty-five seconds of the album's main portion's closing track 'Partner Della Convenienza', vocals that range from deep guttural growls to more classic hardcore-esque shouts, and the group's own unique-sounding riffs and structures.
The live material stands up amply to the recorded works, with the tight and intense performance benefiting from a punchy and clear mix. A bit more crowd noise might not have gone amiss, though - but that's a minor gripe. This is an excellent grind record from a band who, if not exactly under-rated, have never reached as large an audience as they really should have. This re-release is a perfect way to get in on the act.
7.5/10
Cripple Bastards Official Website
Obscene Productions Official Website
Obscene Productions - O.B.P.064 - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
"Controversial hategrind since 1988" runs the slogan at the top of Italian hardcore/grind merchants Cripple Bastards official website - and from that succinct description, you very nearly have all you need to know about the band. Lyrical topics ranging from the overtly political to the nightmarishly disturbing, album artwork depicting heroin abuse, and a tight, aggressive blend of old-school hardcore punk structures and all-out grinding chaos. What you won't get from that slogan is the information you need regarding this particular disc - a re-release of the first Cripple Bastards album to actually have a decent mix, complete with practically another (grind) album's worth of live material taken from the group's performance at the Obscene Extreme Festival in 2003.
If you're familiar with the album, you know damn well what to expect here - song lengths ranging from 'Idiots Think Slower''s perfunctory thirty seconds to the comparitively epic four minutes and twenty-five seconds of the album's main portion's closing track 'Partner Della Convenienza', vocals that range from deep guttural growls to more classic hardcore-esque shouts, and the group's own unique-sounding riffs and structures.
The live material stands up amply to the recorded works, with the tight and intense performance benefiting from a punchy and clear mix. A bit more crowd noise might not have gone amiss, though - but that's a minor gripe. This is an excellent grind record from a band who, if not exactly under-rated, have never reached as large an audience as they really should have. This re-release is a perfect way to get in on the act.
7.5/10
Cripple Bastards Official Website
Obscene Productions Official Website
