With a star studded lineup of Matt Olivo (Repulsion), Matt Harvey (Exhumed), Danny Walker (Intronaut) and Menno Verbaten (Lightning Swords of Death) joining forces and spawning a monster called Expulsion, there is not much you can do but meekly submit yourself as they mercilessly make you chug a venomous cocktail down your throats in the form of their debut offering titled ‘Nightmare Future’. With several of the legendary Death Metal and Grindcore acts through these years naming Matt Olivo and Repulsion as their primary influence, and considering the ultra corrosive Goregrind sound of the early Exhumed era, you can’t help but to expect a sonic assault to be unleashed on your cochleas from this supergroup. However, as it often goes with supergroups, there have been many who have diluted the intensity of their former self, instead of synergizing for creative collaboration and there is always that little part in you that is scared of being disappointed. So, with a mixed feeling of anticipation and nervousness, I pushed the play button on ‘Nightmare Future’.
All my fears were obliterated to pieces as Verbaten’s dirty bass tone on the opening notes of “Total Human Genocide” boomed inside my ear drums. Soon enough the hook is amplified by a throat ripping buzz-saw riffage as Harvey’s oratory assault crawls up inside your ears and thrashes up your brain. It’s hard not to be taken aback by the sheer ferocity of the track during its opening moments. As the band tones down to just the bass at around the 1:30 mark, you know you are about to witness something special, and that’s when Olivo’s atonal solo comes to the party amidst a ballsy rhythm work and Walker’s relentless blast beats. In true Grindcore style, the track finishes in a little over 2 minutes.
It is hard to pick your favorite in the band as every member puts up a mean fight to get themselves heard. Whether it is Olivo’s frenetic riffage, Walker’s deafening snare hits, Verbaten’s raw bass tones or Harvey’s abrasive vocals, they come at you all at once, unrelenting in pace and unabashed in attitude. The Grindcore flavor is evident in the vocals at several places like “Altar of Sacrifice” and “Mask of Fear”, but overall I felt the band tilts more towards the Old School Death/Thrash direction. Take the title track and its follow-up “Funeral Bells” for instance. The groove laden chuggy hooks and a relatively more straightforward approach towards the riffs for most parts makes it different from a Grindcore record where one needs to really zone in to understand the riff patterns and the overall structure. The band does go into that territory sometimes but for most of the parts, it stays well within the realms of the Old School Death/Thrash sound.
The Grindcore aspect comes in the length of the songs and the album. The entire album whizzes past you in 14 minutes with no song reaching the 3 minute mark and only one song crossing over the 2:30 mark. Overall, it leaves the listener wanting for more. However, whatever content there is, the band seldom pulls back its punches or takes a breather. It is an unrelenting surge of Extreme Metal that will take you back in time. Although at times, the band does feel a rehashed avatar of Repulsion but it is not something that will take away from the experience the band puts the listener through.
The production is raw yet meaty. The guitars are thick and the drums are like mini gunshots. Even during the chaotic moments of the songs, you can easily identify the riff patterns which makes this album enjoyable right from the first spin.
Expulsion hits the mark with their debut ‘Nightmare Future’. They deliver what they promise and don’t disappoint even a bit despite the mountain of expectations the listener may have considering each member’s legacy. The album will be out on 14th July via Relapse records and it should not be missed.
