New Phobia 7" EP To Be Released! Gee, Wonder What It Will Sound Like.

West Coast grindcore legends in the flesh, Phobia, are spearheading what I'm sure will be one of several releases for 2014. One of the longest running and most consistent bands in grindcore, almost reaching 25 years of existence. Phobia always have been a band that I can rely on to supply me with a very solid, easy to get into bunch of songs with every release. It's a tried and true formula of just 100% no bullshit grindcore that they've stuck with through it all. So why not just cut to the chase, drop any bits of pretense they had to begin with, and just flat out call your new EP "Grind Core"? That's "Grind (space) Core". Not even gonna give this title any shit. It's fucking Phobia, I can give them a pass this kind of stuff. Need I remind you that this is a band that's put out records called "Grind Your Fucking Head In" and "Loud Proud And Grind As Fuck". "Grind Core" seems totally fitting at this point. Honestly, I'm excited to hear this. Phobia really have been doing some quality work lately. Their last record, "Remnants Of Filth" was excellent, and I've enjoyed all their recent splits. I'd bet money that this record also features the guitar wizardry of Mr. Dorian Rainwater and either Danny Walker or Bryan Fajardo on the skins (can't go wrong with either). "Grind Core" will be released on Deep Six Records sooner then later I assume. No release date or any songs have been posted yet. There also seems to be talk of a full-length as well, we'll see what comes of that. And in addition, Willowtip Records will be reissuing remastered versions of "Means Of Existence" and the "Destroying The Masses" EP. I think I remember seeing on the Jesus Crøst Facebook page that they're doing a split 7" with Phobia too, damn right!

~VII

Phobia - "Remnants of Filth" Album Review

Phobia is one of those bands where you know exactly what you are going to get whenever they put out a new album. Throughout their entire existence from "Serenity Through Pain" and onwards, Phobia have been a consistently solid band, putting out "punk as fuck" grindcore albums and numerous splits since the 90's. Their new full length, "Remnants of Filth" (released by Deep Six and Willowtip Records), keeps their tried and true formula in check. The band, once again featuring grindcore champions Bryan Fajardo and Dorian Rainwater on their respective instruments, waste no time dishing out the punishment after a solid mid-paced opening (I'm just going to ignore that cheesy as fuck sample though). From then on, it's just 19 minutes of straight up grindcore. The recordings sounds great, and the band sounds incredibly tight. The drum mix in particular is fantastic; the bass drums add a great low end rumble, and the snare cuts through like a knife.
Given that Phobia have kept their familiar sound, "Remnants of Filth" probably isn't going to convert any new listeners. If you haven't liked Phobia in the past, this most likely won't change your opinion. There aren't really any stand-out tracks on here, it's all pretty consistent, but it's not without it's moments. Some familiar Rainwater-ism's come out now and again; a couple dissonant riffs here and there, and a weird chromatic riff on the track "Resolution". The sharp left-turn breakdown on the track "Submission Hold" is a nice touch, and the minor key chord progression on "Resuscitate" is pretty interesting for the band. Overall, it's not a mind-blowing album, but it's another solid and highly enjoyable addition to Phobia's ever growing catalog. Recommended.



Rating: 7.5/10

~VII

Phobia To Release New Album, "Remnants Of Filth" June 5th

Yet another album to add to my "Stoked As Fuck" list; west coast grindcore champions Phobia are set to release their 5th studio full-length, "Remnants Of Filth" on June 5th via Willowtip Records. Ignoring the super "meh" cover art, this album should be a highlight for grind this year. Produced and mixed by Scott Hull at Visceral Sound Studios, and featuring Bryan Fajardo and Dorian Rainwater on their respected instruments, this is sure to be a punishing and unrelenting 19 song-18 minute beast (perfect album length if you ask me). Since this is a Willowtip release though, it might not be getting the vinyl treatment, which is a bummer. But snobby complaints aside, I'm definitely excited, and I don't see how any grind fan wouldn't be as well. Check out a new track from the album, called "Contradiction" below. You can definitely hear some Dorian-style chord riffing near the end!

~VII