Time Signature
Not a complete failure...
Genre: grindcore
Released twice in 2012 - the second time by Season of Mist - "The Art Gospel of Aggravated Assault" has gone from a self-released underground album to having probably had a lot of exposure and promotion. Season of Mist is known for, and deserves praise for, the diversity of its roster of artists, and Complete Failure represent one of the most extreme genres covered by this label - namely, grindcore.
Now, if we think of grindcore as a continuum spanning from its hardcore punk roots to the metallic sound of death-grind, Complete Failure's style, at least on this album, leans more towards the punky side to the metallic side. The vocals are angrily yelled rather than growled. While there are obviously several blastbeat-based chaotic passages which should appeal to grindcore lovers, the overall drive of the album is characterized by the energy of hardcore punk. This way, we are dealing with a nicely intense and energetic album.
To me, grindcore is problematic. When it is good, it is really good, but there is also a considerable portion of really lousy grindcore acts out there, and then there are the bands who are solid, but, despite their intensity, do not really rock my world. At the end of the day, for me, this release belongs to the third category. That is, it is solid and intense, and its short running time of 21 minutes is just right. Still, it does not blow me away b an stretch of the imagination.
It should be mentioned that the production, despite the punky leanings, is not noisy, but, in fact, very well-defined. It allows you to hear what is going on musically, and the intensity and energy is thus not drowned lo-fi production. This, I think, may be a turn-off to the most punk-oriented grindcore fans out there, but metal fans who are used to more hi-fi productions may find it an attraction point.
We are dealing with a solid grindcore album, characterized by hardcore energy and grindcore instensity and a quite good production. With several of the typical grindcore aesthetics in place, "The Art Gospel of Aggravated Assault" is recommended to seasoned fans of grindcore.