V/A – Earache Records – Grind Crusher (1989)

October 6, 2024

As many have noted before me, the legendary status of such a composition makes it rather difficult to talk about. Each name in the running order – a mere footnote in the playlist here, is instead a whole epoch of extreme metal history (yes, even the not-so-well-known ones towards the back).

I would recommend this compilation to anyone who is new to underground metal and grindcore; the glory days of Earache are truly difficult to beat, even with the many thousands of hours of new music that has followed. I would also say that the seasoned listener would also find some merit in finding these tracks again in a new context.

Truly, there are very few records to which I can say are essential listening, but this is one of them.