(c) Greta Gerstner
They call their sound ‘Barbiegrind’ or ‘Bimboviolence’, like to rely on strange humor and at the same time demonstrate a penchant for horror stories by Stephen King: Brat are not exactly what you would imagine a deathgrind band to be. And yet the idiosyncratic and rousing presentation of the quartet from New Orleans around Liz Selfish deserves full attention. The first complete album now lands between chaos, brute force and a wink „Social Grace“.
With a playing time of just 21 minutes, the term album is to be understood more provisionally, but it fits the genre. Fast, harsh blows to the neck are a must, only the final title track (very narrowly) skips the three-minute mark. Said “Social Grace” starts off rough and onomatopoeic, slows down the pace and seems like a huge breakdown. Selfish’s poisonous vocals cut through the bones, and the tempo changes between hardcore and death metal are good. Anyone who appreciates the rough, direct brat will find what they are looking for in “Blood Diamond”, for example. Here, in a nutshell, it moves forward almost continuously, even the blurred breakdown can’t affect the action.
A double in the first minutes of this record is also strong. First, “Hesitation Wound” chooses an extremely long build-up for such a short track, getting dirty and combining the intensity of Napalm Death with the relentlessness of Seeker, before a seemingly endless breakdown leads seamlessly into “Slow Heat”. The downright doomy first half surprises, then an imaginary switch switches on and Brat explodes with increasing enthusiasm. It hurts a lot, even burns under your fingernails and has great entertainment value.
Of course it’s damn exhausting, no question about it, but it’s also kind of likeable. Where Brat goes, grass no longer grows, this short, crisp album is so raw and harsh. And yet the special, the pleasantly idiosyncratic nature of this quartet shines through immediately. “Social Grace” takes Grind further, foregoes pure breakdown orgies and loves elemental violence, even if it’s not everything. The truth lies in between, accompanied by the weird humor and the skilfully idiosyncratic presentation that cannot be missed from the band from New Orleans. Brat set accents and boldly, brutally for a long time – an entertaining blow in the neck of the welcome unpleasant kind.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: March 15, 2024
Available via: Prosthetic Records (Cargo Records)
Website: bratband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brat504
Category: Magazin, Reviews