Artist: Leng Tch'e
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 6/28/05
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Title: The Process of Elimination Artist: Leng Tch'e Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 6/28/05 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
This, Leng Tch'e's Relapse debut, is my first contact with the band. I believe this is their third album overall, however, and the first with a new singer. For those of you who, like me, know nothing about the band, they deliver a groove-heavy mix of death and grindcore in much the same vein as latter day Nasum and Cephalic Carnage with a little BloodDuster thrown in. In all honesty, I'm still not over the loss of Nasum, and I'm not sure I'm ready to accept another band like this, but, on the other hand, this album is pretty impressive.
"One word review: Compelling." The Process Of Elimination, like many recent grindcore albums, is more focused than the early, chaotic shredfests that defined the genre. Instead, the band plays groovy, slammin' mid-paced riffs that are only occasionally interspersed with eclectic progressions. And the grooves are what make this band. They've got a cool guitar sound that sounds thick, but still slices through the songs. The vocals are nothing particularly special, but they are interesting enough to keep the listener's attention throughout the disc. In short, they get the job done.
If I have one big critique of this band it is I don't really like the lyrics. While a good portion of them are inoffensive, there are quite a few that are just damn silly (see "Testosterone Collar" and "Don't Touch My Spandex"). Of course, pet peeves like this are relatively insignificant when the band can write such impressive pieces as "Motorgrinding" and "Another Hit Single." This band has caught my attention with a really good album...here's hoping their next one will be great. One word review: Compelling.
Death's Review:
Belgian grindcore masters Leng Tch'e grind out the pulverizing and pummeling riches the way grindcore traditionalists should, adding to the already formidable grind legacy of their new label, Relapse Records. See, e.g., General Surgery, Repulsion, Brutal Truth, Nasum, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Pig Destroyer, Cephalic Carnage. Apparently, "Leng Tch'e" is an ancient Chinese torture ritual known as "death by a thousand cuts." Taking after their name, Leng Tch'e indeed slice the listener into a thousand pieces with their new album The Process of Elimination. However, while the music is a great modern example of traditional grind, it does not break down enough barriers or carry enough original wallop to maintain my interest for long. The music is simply good, not great, and therefore you're sometimes left with the feeling that this is just another grind record. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, but there just isn't enough here to my ears to take this band a step above and beyond the pack. I love Pig Destroyer, Cephalic Carnage, Nasum and Soilent Green, and this band is not on par with any of them. It's pretty cool music, but in the end, nothing more. Just pretty cool. There's better stuff out there now for you to spend your money on, but you could also definitely do much, much worse.
"Leng Tch'e indeed slice the listener into a thousand pieces with their new album The Process of Elimination."
Hel's Review:
Welcome to the world of Belgian grindcore. I first came across Leng Tch’e via Willowtip a couple of years ago. I didn’t really get to spend a lot of time with Man Made Predator, but I remember enjoying it. I recently saw their first effort, Death by a Thousand Cuts, for sale when I was at the Relapse store in Philadelphia and I have been kicking myself for not picking it up ever since. (That and a sweet zip-up Mastodon hoodie...)
"Leng Tch’e rules." At this point I think I can call myself a fan, and therefore you should take my word as gospel: Leng Tch’e rules. I definitely have a soft spot for grindcore. There is just something about absurdly fast brutal music that makes me happy. My nine-month-old daughter actually laughs out loud and starts dancing around whenever I hit “play” on this disc. So that’s two votes for “Yay, Leng Tch’e!”
If well-executed grind is a favorite of yours, and you have never before heard Leng Tch’e, then this is definitely your lucky day. Those who proclaim themselves “burned out” on grind may turn up their noses at this, but who cares about them? I say buy it – buy it now.
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