Irritate / Murder Company / Drunk Junkees / Emulgator – Split CD (2000)

September 30, 2024

Starting a grindcore comp with a band of the “slow and heavy” variety is a bold move. Irritate come across like the slower, chunkier moments of 90s Agathocles material (which may or may not be a coincidence since the two bands have split with each other).

Murder Company sound like a death metal band on crack cocaine. There’s a fathomless heaviness to proceedings, helped along nicely by the overpowering drumming and low guitar tuning, not to mention the intense growls. The music devolves into these seemingly formless flurries of grinding mush however, with the drums going into hyperspeed. Recommended for people who can’t sit still!

Drunk Junkees (interesting spelling) have some fucking great riffs. They have a no-nonsense, straight up approach which is a breath of fresh air.

Rounding out the split is Emulgator, who are by far the “grindiest” band on this thing. Short, sharp, shocks as tracks is the underlying template, with razor-precise riffing and ants-in-your-pants drumming. Vocal variety is nice and interesting too; lots of mad gurgles as well as the more regular screeching and yelping. Top stuff.