Killgasm – A Stab in the Heart of Christ (Moribund Records)

Tuesday, 22nd April 2014
Rating: 7.5/10

Another band that seems to be flying onto the radar playing a combination of black metal and grindcore, Killgasm have been doing their thing since 2004.  A Stab in the Heart of Christ is only their second full-length during this period, though they’ve laid plenty of groundwork with various splits and EPs over the years.  Also utilizing a bit of punk attitude and a larger amount of melody, Killgasm show a much more varied attack of brutality than you may expect from the name and title.

The mix of genres at hand is Killgasm’s greatest asset in their music.  The vocals are all over the place, in a good way, with everything from growls to blackened screams to even some pig squeals.  The music does the same, with some tracks like “High on Church Fumes” and “Revenge of the Panzergoat” providing the obligatory blitzkrieg, while other tracks like “A Stab in the Heart of Christ” and “The Smell of Stolen Innocence” leaning further towards the black metal end of the spectrum with some occasional accompanying punk vibes.  The tracks towards the end of the album seem to do the best with providing some darker melodies that are weaved in, while maintaining the grinding/blackened tone without compromise.

There are a few hiccups along the way through the album.  The most frustrating is that of oddly abrupt song endings.  Two of the tracks, “Planet Earth, Mass Grave” and “Cold, Dead, and Spread” seem to be moving right along and just end, with no rhyme or reason.  Thankfully, the remainder of the tracks do not follow suit, but these two just feel odd.  The other hiccup is that of the hokey song titles/lyrics, but anyone used to bands like Impaled Nazarene or Deicide should have no trouble looking past that.

With plenty of piss and vinegar, A Stab in the Light of Christ is a reminder that combining several genres can be successful without sounding jumbled and disoriented.  Be aware of the band’s penchant for underlying melodies though, that’s what will keep you coming back to it in the end.

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