Band:	Corrupt Moral Altar
Album:	Mechanical Tides
Style:	Grindcore
Release date:	July 18, 2014
A review by:	Ilham

01. Father Tongue
02. Blood Harmony
03. Die Glocke [feat. Jeff Walker]
04. Line Check
05. Wire Mother
06. Gin Dreams
07. Closed Casket
08. Sweet Talk
09. Admit Defeat [feat. Mitch Harris]
10. Garland Greene [feat. Jeff Walker]
11. River Blind
12. Black Chapter
13. Insect Politicians

Guys, guys, do you remember this? No matter how far you'd get those fingers up your ears, you couldn't just enjoy the first few minutes of your movie because you got your eardrums punctured? Yeah, well, Mechanical Tides starts exactly like that: with a loud bang that you will only associate with good memories in the future.

The first question you could ask me is "how could anyone endure forty-five minutes of pummelling grind in one sitting?". Easy like cheesy peas, two answers:



These are the two most remarkable features of this album. This isn't your usual "fuck-me-with-a-rusty-knife-with-a-dull-blade" grindcore. Indeed, these British young men play a rather rare blend of genres such as sludge, hardcore punk and grind. This richness of sound makes each song memorable and allows it to develop in its own unique way. Everything is there: groovy head-bobbing songs, fast and angry-punk driven ones, heavy time-stretching sludgy riffs in longer pieces, as well as a ballad - yes a ballad, a brutal ballad by the title of "Admit Defeat".

I wouldn't be much of a reviewer if I didn't point out Jeff Walker (Carcass) and Mitch Harris' (Napalm Death) contribution to Mechanical Tides, as both were nice enough to sacrifice a little bit of their vocal cords to help these guys get a little recognition. I'll let you decide whether it was crucial and memorable, but it does give you an idea to whom Corrupt Moral Altar look up to.

I don't want to get boring technical, and I'll just finish by saying that as antinomic as it sounds, these guys just succeeded in making an intelligent, yet brutal and funky grindcore album. This is only their début, need I remind you.

So pull out the fingers from your ears and let the "gentle-love-making-with-a-sharp-and-just-about-filthy-enough-knife" grindcore play, right here.