Grindcore and all it’s related abrasive movements have long been genres specialising in sudden, swift and concessive force. The musical equivalent of a being on the receiving end of an unprovoked glassing in a flat roof pub if you will. However, the genre – much akin to every other musical movement on the alternative spectrum – has been the victim to relentless experimentation as of late, with many an artist haphazardly splicing motifs of grind with other more remote sounds. Results have varied, but it appears a common causality of this frenzied splicing is the softening of grind’s bluntness. Thankfully, there’s plenty of acts within the UK scene staying true to grind’s filthy roots. Atomçk are one of them, and nothing highlights this more than the band’s utterly frantic new record Towering Failures.
The third LP from the South West grind ruffians, Towering Failures is anything but it’s namesake. Comprised of 19 tracks with the longest spanning two minutes 40 seconds, Towering Failures is a throw back to the halcyon days of grind where the inherent filth is void of any impurities or feckless gimmickry. It’s short, snappy, obscene, comical, and like all good records of this nature, would give your grandmother psychosis. However, this is not rehashing nor reskinning of the products of the acts that pioneered the grind game all those decades ago. By building upon the adventurous nature of their sound established in their previous records and by perfecting their tone, this record see’s Atomçk carving out their own squalid cavity in the scene.
“Sounds akin to a doberman chewing a budgie”
An opening barrage of ‘Brain Rot’, ‘Francis Bacon’, ‘Robocop 2’, ‘Sic Bro Banter’ and ‘Left In Such An Annoying State’ immediately establishes the overarching tone of Towering Failures with the gentle caress of a pint of John Smith’s to the back of the head. With each respective member attacking their instruments with a sense of hostility that can only be described as deranged and with vocalist Linus sounding akin to a doberman chewing a budgie belonging to your aforementioned poor old nan, the record essentially reaches the zenith of it’s haste seconds into it’s runtime. Yet, within this sordid melee lies nuance and fine detail. With a punk sensibility adding a volatile yet tangible sense of constant energy, across this this blitzkrieg of noise Atomçk touch upon elements of death, thrash, crust, black metal and even Slabdragger-esque sludge. Granted, touch may be the incorrect word – steamrolled into one might be a more suitable description – but the fashion in which the band coalescence these motifs into their own sound is beyond the skill and grace of most of their contemporariness in this field.
Tracks further into the record like ‘You Guys Drink A Lot’, ‘Disk Warfare’ and wonderfully titled ‘Butcher AC/DC’ – a track thankfully void of any grown-men in school uniforms, at least one hopes – further adds to this. These tracks are inherent and inconsolable rampages of grind, but the fluid construction of these tracks see’s Atomçk incorporate and explore more elements. It’s not hapless genre splicing, just creative and naturalistic songwriting that bares credence to this band’s quest for pure constant energy. This in turn, pays dividends into the concussive force of Towering Failures. With the band pulling from genres adjacent to the gutters of grind, every single millisecond of this hits with a sense of bluntness that’s utterly pulverising. The brilliant production amplifies this sense of aural devastation further, with the record cradling that sweet spot that’s often unobtainable in this genre. Towering Failures doesn’t sound like it was recorded using a third-party Xbox 360 headset and nor is it polished to the point where it feels sanitized and lifeless. Instead the production sounds full-bodied, colossal and inescapable, wonderfully and viscerally encapsulating the bedlam of the band as a brawling live sonic entity.
In an age where experimentation without consideration is rampant, Towering Failures is living proof that there’s still new avenues to explore within the underbelly of grind without deterring from the blueprint etched by it’s founders. Depravingly chaotic and bluntly ravaging, this record affirms Atomçk’s standing as one of the most energetic and inventive names in UK grind and stands as a must listen for anyone seeking high-octane music in it’s most extreme and uncompromising form.