Grind Worldwide: Czech Republic

So a few days ago I got this mad idea to do a series of articles about grind bands from around the world, each article focusing on a different country. We're all familiar with American bands by now, and the big name European bands like Rotten Sound from Finland, Nasum and Regurgitate from Sweden, Cripple Bastard from Italy, etc. But I wanted to use these posts to shed light on some of the more less well known bands whose presence may be overshadowed by these bigger artists. Keep in mind, that writing about every band from X country would be near impossible, the bands listed are ones that I a) know about, and b) are bands that I think are really good. If you know of any bands that you feel should have been mentioned, feel free to drop their names in the comment section. So without further ado, let's being the first post of Grind Worldwide, starting with the Czech Republic! Not only the spawning ground of many, many awesome bands, but also the home of the Obscene Extreme Festival, probably the biggest grindcore fest in the world!

Spasm: I really can't talk about Czech grind without naming at least a couple of their gore/pornogrind bands, there are hundreds of them! And honestly, quite a lot of them are excellent! Those 2 subgenres, particularly pornogrind, are generally despised among many grindcore fans, but the Czech do it so well! One of my favorites has to be the mighty Spasm! A perverse, grooving, drum/bass grind trio who write simple, fun and slamming pornogrind. The bass tone these guys capture is phenomenal, and really fills up the space that a guitar would fill if included. It really is the tone I associate with Czech grind bands; full, distorted, beefy, bassy and warm. Their front man is also very noteworthy, a rather large gentlemen who performs in nothing but a Borat bathing suit and occasianally a pig head S&M mask. Gotta love it. 

Jig Ai: Here's another pornogrind band that I just gotta talk about, not only because they absolutely slay, but also because the members have branched out into several other bands in the Czech scene. Jig Ai themselves are another trio, and arguably one of the more well known bands in the pornogrind genre, and for good reason. The riffs they right are caveman simple, but super groovy and as infections as herpes. That super full, warm guitar tone is there as well, and they boast some of the most ridiculous vocals in the genre, plus they are fun as hell to watch live! The musicians of Jig Ai have also been in numerous other bands including Destructive Explosion of Anal Garland, Eardelete and Negligent Collateral Collapse.

Needful Things: I could do a whole damn article about how much this band kicks ass. In my opinion, Needful Things are one of the most criminally overlooked grindcore bands going right now. Pure fucking grind excellence from this Czech quintet; great memorable riffs, blasting momentum, and a vocalist who writes some of the best vocal patterns in grind. I know that's a weird thing to focus on, but I honestly just love the way he structures his vocals around the riffs, and in that respect Needful Things music just sounds very well done and structured. Their album "Dead Point" is something everyone should check out, and I'm super happy that they're on the bill for this years Maryland Deathfest. 

Lycanthropy: Lycanthropy's a band that I'm sure a bunch of you have heard of, they are starting to get a bit more popular in the states. A grind band that has a very nice mix of old-school grind with modern speed and intensity with some fastcore style stop-start song structures. I sense a very big Phobia influence from these guys and gal. Great vocals too, high pitched from the lovely lead screamer Zdisha and hardcore backing yells. Super solid grindcore! I believe Give Praise records is re-issuing their full-length for the states. 

Amoclen: Amoclen are a band that I've been getting heavily more into the past few months. "Medical grindcore"(dig that crazy band logo), weird but not that far out musically, and fronted by a FUCKING GIANT. Seriously, this guy has to be almost 8 feet tall, it's pretty intense. Their whole schtick should tell you that this isn't your normal grindcore. It's still intense and heavy, but has a certain charm, while not being as wild as a band like Antigama or Swarrrm. They have very little releases, and they're kinda hard to find here in the states, which is a shame. I'm on the prowl!!

~VII