SCORNGRAIN „0,05%”

Music: Industrial Thrash Metal
Country: Finland
Web Site: www.scorngrain.com
Cool Songs: Mural, Draw the Line, Off with their Heads

One could rightly term SCORNGRAIN’s newest album, Futurist Thrash Metal. “0,05%” is an amalgamation of Euro-metal—looking to their Finnish brethren for inspiration—and extreme electronic music. The Science Fiction tag comes due to the bands utilization of spacey noise: electronic blips and bleeps, laser noises, creaking electronic static, and other noises associated with the cyber age.

The guitars have that electric, digital harshness all the great bands of the electronic rock genre do so well. Some guitar sections grind and chug like a massive compacter crushing cars into portable cubes of metal. Vocalist, Enema Boom Boom (his name makes my sphincter clinch) uses heavy vocal effects to create an inhuman, inter-galactic personality. Enema’s voice sounds like a cross between Nagesh of THE KOVENENT, Krztoff of BILE, and Ogre of SKINNY PUPPY.

The Industrial elements are remarkable, but what makes “0,05%” a special album is how well they combine these aspects with Thrash. “Mural” shows the band applying this technique to the best of their ability. Rumbling, steaming machine noise begins the track, but soon the electrics fall into the background, adding atmosphere and energy to twin guitar harmonies. These harmonies transition into a floor-stomping power groove that seems tailor made for PANTERA and WHITE ZOMBIE fans. Cosmic noise follows the guitar breaks, lending the track a dark space vibe. “Draw the Line” sounds like THE HAUNTED playing for a rave crowd, with head banging-worthy Thrash rhythms that open up to electronics that sound like digital Cicada calls.

Over the last decade, some of Industrial’s figureheads have become progressively more metal. Just look at the transformation MINISTRY has taken. MINISTRY started as a goth/club band, but over time, each album has become more and more metal, but has managed to retain an Industrial aura. When bands can effectively blend various styles of music, they stand a chance of greatly broading their fan base. With “0,05%”, SCORNGRAIN has constructed an album that should appeal to Thrash and Industrial fans alike. “0,05%” comes highly recommended for fans of BILE, THE DEATH STARS, THE KOVENENT, and more recent DODHEIMSGARD.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

1. The Code
2. Toadstool Journey
3. Mural
4. Off with Their Heads
5. Übermensch
6. Draw the Line
7. Shot Down
8. Mama Stabber
9. Teaspoonful
Total playing time 40:00

Line-up

Enema Boom Boom (aka TwentynineA) – Vocals
Dr. Mike Lederfaust (Mika Packalen) – Guitar, programming
A.I. – Guitar
Herman G. (aka Herbalizer) – Bass
E (aka Eniac) – Drums, programming