ALBUM REVIEW: Indoctrinate – Concede

Australian powerviolence/grindcore crew CONCEDE’s debut album Indoctrinate is the audio equivalent of being punched in the face by an armoured fist. It’s short, sharp and about as far from sweet as is possible to be. This does nothing new that NAILS or LEECHED haven’t attempted before, but by god is it a great example of how extreme metal can be. If you’re looking for innovation and experimentation then look elsewhere, but for a good, fun slap round the face with big riffs, bigger drums, and ear-piercing screams then Indoctrinate is for you.

Sometimes powerviolence can overstay its welcome, but CONCEDE know that all of the best extreme records get in and out as quickly as possible, with the only song over two minutes long on the entire record being the closer One With The Earth, which clocks in at a positively humungous five minutes and twenty-three seconds long. In the world of powerviolence that’s the equivalent of an hour. This is arguably the only bit of experimentation on the record, and whilst saying it is a bit slower than the rest of the record might be a bit much, it certainly adopts a slightly different pace, most in line with stereotypical hardcore than the constant balls to the wall attitude of the rest of the record.

Formed by members of AMEND, END IT ALL and EARTH ROT, this is a hybrid of powerviolence and grindcore performed by well experienced musicians. And whilst it might be difficult to innovate within a relatively limited genre that already has its iconic bands, it is more than enough for a band like CONCEDE to simply write an absolutely ripping album. A horrifically angry record, that clearly has roots in hardcore (as mentioned earlier), with the vocals actually differentiated it from some of the others in the genre, with their higher pitch being more reminiscent of KNOCKED LOOSE than the growls of NAILS.

There is an argument to be made that this could be a good starting point for listeners new to the genre, with a slightly different style of vocals. However if you’re going to start with powerviolence then start with the best, because whilst this is good, it does nothing new that the titans of the subgenre haven’t done before. If you like powerviolence then this is for you, and if you don’t then this probably isn’t.

Nonetheless, it is always exciting to see this genre done to such a high standard, and it is a subgenre that doesn’t really require much innovation because it is always so much fun. If you make a solid powerviolence record – and especially if you mix in a bit of grindcore – then it is always going to be a good time, especially on a record like this that understands its own limitations and doesn’t outstay its welcome.

So overall, this is a good record, but not a great one. CONCEDE find themselves in a position that several others do, bands like SHACKL3S who are just one step below the titans of the sub-genre such as NAILS, simply because of the longevity of those bands meaning that they have had to find ways to experiment that younger bands haven’t done yet. But for pure aggression, this is a fantastic piece of work, constantly smacking you around the head via your ears, and giving absolutely no respite. Put this on and you’ll feel like fighting the whole damn world. CONCEDE have a bright future ahead and Indoctrinate is most certainly a good starting point, but it just doesn’t do anything different that other contemporaries haven’t attempted before. But that doesn’t stop it from being so much fun.

Rating: 7/10

Indoctrinate is out now via Petrichor.

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