ALBUM REVIEW: Agronomicon – Beaten To Death

There’s no escaping the expectation that grindcore sounds like your eardrums are being BEATEN TO DEATH. Not that tradition ever mattered to this Oslo five-piece, as fourth anti-opus Agronomicon is the epitome of what grindcore means to them, not to the trendsetters.

Fusing relentless grind energy with melodies that somehow stick with you longer than their average two-minute song length, BEATEN TO DEATH embody what their genre was created for in the first place – an outlet for unadulterated rage and a simultaneously convenient platform to show off their instrumental prowess. In the Norwegians’ hands, however, there’s no boxes to tick and no  expectations, simply creativity at its most furious and, at times, euphonic.

The intensity of opener Grind Korn speaks for itself, with consistently insane vocals from vocalist Anders Bakke, framed by sticksman Christian Svendsen who frankly deserves a medal for valour only two minutes in. If you have twenty fucks left to give, join in with Catch Twentyfvck as it belts its own name with feeling, or stand by as furious drums and noodling guitars fight to the death in Livet Tar, Og Livet Tar. Despite most tracks being traditionally yet painfully brief, each and every one is packed to the rafters with organised instrumental chaos – even the larger-than-life title track Agronomicon is so fast, you’d be forgiven for reaching for the motion sickness tablets.

Breaking out of their genre’s boundaries on every occasion possible, impressive glittering guitars burst through the tricksy Dere Er Herved Oppløst and the catchy Telecaster riff of Bjørnstjerne Ibsen – grindcore never sounded so ironically beautiful at the hands of axemen Martin Rygge and Tommy Hjelm. Meanwhile, album-stealer Extremely Run To The Hills plays a truly contagious melody close to its chest and the menacing echoes of closer Eternal Punished Septic stand to prove harmony really can thrive in the most arid of genre foundations.

While the album rightfully frames Norwegian track titles and lyrics, English-speaking listeners can still find their kicks buried in here somewhere. Whatever Gå, Snuble, Bli Liggende means (according to a well-known online translation tool, it’s ’go, stumble, get lying’), it’s catastrophically marvellous. Somewhat more confusingly titled, the strangely addictive Boy George Michael Bolton bursts in with its searingly high screams. Don’t expect a grind tribute to Karma Chameleon and When A Man Loves A Woman, simply assume Bakke is listing his vocal idols.

It’s hard to avoid the feeling that BEATEN TO DEATH are being very coy – their talent for clingy melodies is stronger than they’re letting on. That said, Agronomicon is a neat display of what a harmonious migraine should sound like.

Rating: 7/10

Agronomicon is out now via Mas-Kina Recordings.

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