EP REVIEW: All The Miseries – Birdflesh
Sweden’s BIRDFLESH have been making “crazy thrashing grindcore” since 1992. In those near three decades, they’ve released a relatively modest five full-length albums, making up for this with a endless stream of splits, demos, EPs and more. With these, they’ve become a respected name with a cult following, known in particular for their wacky sense of humour and crazed onstage antics. All The Miseries is the band’s latest offering, and follows their 2019 full-length Extreme Graveyard Tornado. It takes the form of a 13 track EP, with 11 live bonus tracks thrown in for good measure.
With a title like All The Miseries, some might fear BIRDFLESH are taking themselves more seriously on this record. That would be a mistake. A quick glance over the track-list alone reveals the band still have their sights set firmly on the ludicrous – not least with a song title like Kickstart My Ass. The fun continues in the music itself too. On second track High On Carnage, we hear a sample of Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s iconic “Hasta la vista, baby!” amid the mayhem. Later, Sayonara Sensei features bursts of disastrous recorder playing in what’s surely a first for the grindcore genre. Lyrically, things are just as ridiculous. Kickstart My Ass is a prime example, but BIRDFLESH‘s typically OTT sense of humour runs through this entire record.
It’s definitely good for a laugh then, but there’s also a real quality to All The Miseries. BIRDFLESH clearly have no troubles with grindcore’s usual tricks of the trade on this record. Short songs, breakneck blast-beats, a general hair-raising brutality – all these and more are in safe, experienced hands here. This is clear from the album’s opening rager, Gore Ensemble, and remains the case throughout. Seventh track Slaughterchild definitely deserves a mention in this regard, slamming in with one of the record’s most violent blasts of guttural grindcore gold.
Perhaps one of the most bemusing and interesting things about All The Miseries is its surprising level of catchiness. That may sound unlikely for a grindcore record, but it’s true, and something which definitely elevates the EP’s quality. Tracks like Radioactive Madness, People Of The Leprosy and Pissboy all feature absurd yet memorable hooks. You might not want “Pissboy! He’s gonna piss on me/Pissboy! He’s gonna piss in you” bouncing around in your head for hours after you listen to it, but good luck getting it out of there. BIRDFLESH‘s thrashier leanings also lend the record some degree of accessibility, with plenty of groove-heavy head-banging riffs on tracks like The Head Of A Skull, Hell Satan Bro Stalker, and many more.
Turning to the live tracks on All The Miseries, ‘bonus’ is probably the only word for them. Even that feels quite generous. By definition, live albums and recordings are rarely of a studio standard, but these are particularly rudimentary in their production. They almost sound as though they were recorded on a mobile phone. As a result, it feels like a bit of a ‘had to be there’ moment for these songs. Aside from providing a chance to hear some more of the band’s sense of humour in the moments between tracks, they don’t add much to the record at all. Then again, these are bonus pieces, and BIRDFLESH die-hards will probably still be happy enough with them.
Ultimately, All The Miseries is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from BIRDFLESH: solid thrash-tinged grindcore imbued with a gleeful insanity. If you aren’t fussed by the live tracks, then you’ve still got 12 minutes of quality new material to enjoy. If you’re a super-fan, there’s even more for you here. Chuck this on, have a laugh, and just make sure to catch yourself before you start singing along to Pissboy anywhere too public.
Rating: 7/10
All The Miseries is set for release on May 26th via Everlasting Spew Records.
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