Wounds of the Earth

Band: Grendel

Album: Harsh Generation

Album Year: 2007

Label: Infacted

Genre: Terror EBM

Grendel, on hiatus after the Soilbleed EP, return in all their glory with the release of Harsh Generation, a ten track powerhouse of dance leads and well crafted sounds. Militant, dystopian , and industrial themes are prevalent on this CD, even in the packaging which is a gorgeous collection of machines, clockwork women, and a ruined city scape. If you are already a fan of Grendel and especially enjoy the Soilbleed EP, then you will automatically love this CD. It has the characteristic “Grendel” sound that they have been developing and refining since Inhumane Amusement and seem to have perfected on Soilbleed. Harsh Generation features upbeat militant dance tracks that are energetic and catchy. What differs Harsh Generation tracks from previous Grendel releases is that the production on Harsh Generation is really top notch. For people who remember the muddy and whispery End of Ages EP, this comes as a huge relief. Grendel finally has flawless production and this really pushes their tracks from being mediocre to downright outstanding. The vocals have also improved dramatically. No whispering, less distortion, and audibility are the vocal qualities helping make Harsh Generation stand above other releases in the genre of terror ebm. This is Grendel with way more power then before.

From the second track Harsh Generation to the ninth New Flesh, Harsh Generation is in your face club material. All of the tracks are pretty much identical with strong catchy leads and a fast tempo but a few of the songs do stand out such as B.A.A.L (Deliver Me) and Dirty. B.A.A.L. is a slower melodic track that has brilliant robotic vocal effects and vocoding. Its really beautiful and atmospheric. Dirty utilizes female spoken word vocals ala Combichrist, but coupled with some of the catchiest music on the CD. New Flesh is also notable, its melody is one of the most dramatic on the CD, its lyrics and samples are spot on. To me this track really captures the essence of Harsh Generation.

The bottom line is that this CD is strong melodic terror ebm. If you are a fan of the genre and if you are especially a fan of Grendel, you will love this CD. I am sure that we will be hearing many of these tracks in the club for a long time.

If you buy the limited edition set with the bonus disc, you will be getting ten more tracks of remixes where each artist puts their distinctive stamp on Grendel. Die Sektor kicks it off with a avant garde down tempo mix of Remnants. Amduscia, Soman, and X-Fusion also all provide quality remixes. Dawn of Ashes’ version of Void Malign and C-Drone Defects’ Judged Ones really stand out as exceptional. Caustics’ Hate This sounds like the original track run through distortion. In all it’s a mixed bag of remixes, but a must to buy for any dedicated fan.

-Elijah Arms, The Director