NASUM
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
"Human 2.0" is twenty-five tracks of unrelenting, mesmerizing grindcore/noisecore that plays like heavy metal crammed into the grindcore/noisecore genre rather than grindcore/noisecore squeezed into the heavy metal format. Permutating greatness is suggested in every micro-second of recorded musical mania on "Human 2.0" while the ever elusive 'groove' still finds a home on many of the tracks.
Like Meshuggah, Nasum exude technical skill from every fiber of their
being. As Rough Edge readers know, I'll take technical playing any day of the week to help me get through the down times.
You can only keep a force like Nasum tied up for so long before it breaks the chains and
creates chaos. Nasum liberates energy like a caged animal smelling blood set dead ahead on carnage. It
just might be that Nasum have been exposed to too much radiation - song lengths are expressed in
the thousandths of seconds. With killer tracks clocking in at less than nineteen seconds you, too,
would have to find a way to make each song distinct.
Those unaccustomed to grindcore will likely dismiss Nasum as mere noise, but beauty is in the ears
of the beholder - it's not often that I'd ever use the word shred to describe grindcore but "Human
2.0" totally shreds everything in its vicinity. There are no auditions for life and every
day is a test - "Human 2.0" is the test - can you take it?
The recurrent themes are more political in nature than the average CD. Nasum spew forth a pit of hate for topics as diverse as government lies, apathy that kills the spirit, and songs about rebellion for the new millennium. Taking care with the vocals is an extravagance few bands can afford, yet Nasum's attention to detail allows for the dual vocals to actually add to the aural hellstorm that Nasum create.
The production is absolutely phenomenal - I keep listening to "Human 2.0" over and over and I can't get over the superior production values.
Nasum is Mieszko A. Talarczyk on guitar and lead vocals, Jesper Liverod on bass, and Anders Jakobson on drums and low vocals.
For more information visit http://www.nasum.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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