Artist: Nasum
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 5/23/00
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Title: Human 2.0 Artist: Nasum Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 5/23/00 |
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Abyss's Review:
Nasum's last album, Inhale/Exhale is arguably one of the best, if not the best, grindcore albums of all time. Yes I'm taking into consideration the old school grindcore of Carcass, Napalm Death (yawn), and Brutal Truth, and I still stand by my statement. Trying to overcome such a debut is a daunting task, one that very few bands are able to overcome. So the big question regarding their new effort isn't if it's worth buying (duh), it's whether it's better than the last masterpiece. A short answer… I just don't know. I've had time enough with Inhale/Exhale, but I'm still on the honeymoon when it comes to this new grindfest. Let me put it this way, even with my titanic expectations for this album, I am not disappointed in the least.
Nasum
Photo by Cynthia PelznerThis new platter takes the framework that was old Nasum, and just injects a little more maturity into it. This is probably the best-produced grindcore album ever made. I almost think they got a prog metal producer to finally listen to some music with balls and heart. The unfortunate side to all of this is that grindcore isn't supposed to be produced well, just look at the direction Brutal Truth went. And I hope that the scene doesn't see this as a sellout, because this is the future of grindcore. It allows for the aggression and chaotic beauty that is grindcore, but makes it seem more mature. I mean, shit, I can actually hear a distinct bass line in these songs. That's impressive. To point out standout tracks is pointless for reasons that are twofold. First, the whole album kicks ass. And second, by the time I look to see what track I'm listening to, the song is over.
This is in a dead heat with Cephalic Carnage for the best grindcore album of the year (and Hell, maybe of all time). But I don't want to think about it now. Buy this album as soon as you can. I'd praise it a little more, but I don't want to sound like a kiss ass and there are two other things I'd rather do now that I've met my deadline. Those would be getting drunk on a couple of Bombay Sapphire martinis, and sitting back and enjoying Human 2.0 some more. Not thinking about what I'm going to write about it… not thinking about how well it compares to its predecessor… but just enjoying the brutal beauty of it.
Death's Review:
Point! Click! Grind! Oh wait, that's Relapse.com. Well then let's just leave it at grrrrrrrind, baby grind. Anyway you slice it, Nasum's Human 2.0, is a pretty killer record. And yes, it is still grindcore, although it is undoubtedly wrapped in an more modern and accessible sound and packaged with a more professional-looking look than you otherwise might expect. At its core, however, this is pure venomous bile, tightly executed and delivered yet expertly produced. You can even hear mainstream sounding guitar solos on tracks like the killer "Shadows." But the feature of greatest note on this new Nasum record is the presence of many more Riffs. Yes, that's "Riffs" with a capital "R." Together with the warm and downtuned guitar sound straight-crossed between early Sepultura and Obituary's Slowly we Rot record, Nasum finds itself mixing a little more metal into the grind for good measure.
Nasum
Photo by Cynthia PelznerSure, the record can still be wildly chaotic, only without the undercurrent of sloppiness which is generally part of the grind aesthetic. Call this refined grind, if there is such a thing. Leaving aside the Shakespearean "to grind or not to grind" question, as a metal record, Human 2.0 completely and totally works, and works well. Surprisingly, the lyrics are also fun. The entire package here is first rate. Nasum have delivered the goods and should be commended for it. Sure, they've polished things up a bit, but the core rage remains at the forefront. To quote Skid Row (in a Nasum review?!!?), the band shouldn't be forced to always remain total "Slaves to the Grind."
Hel's Review:
Human 2.0 starts out with a blast. I figure that's the least I can do as well. Nasum returns with their second effort, as brutally unrestrained and quirky as the first. The longest song on the album clocks in at "2:57.692". The shortest? "18.868". Yes, folks, several of these songs are so short, they necessitate carrying the time out to the thousandth of a second.
Nasum
Photo by Cynthia PelznerThis album is as blistering with intensity as it is unpredictable. A good example of what I mean by unpredictable - "När dagarna" - the entire song is, I believe, in their native Swedish. Not being able to speak Swedish, I could be wrong. The song durations are the core of their unpredictability, but there's so much more to this album than just that - the musicianship is fantastic.
Listening is an adventure. You don't know at the beginning, whether this will be a 30 second jaunt or a 2 minute opus. It is a journey of discovery, if you will. What you will quickly find out: this band rocks. "Resistance" catches my attention every time, maybe because the guitar sounds very much like my alarm clock.
I admit it, I was predisposed to liking this one. But what I enjoy most about Nasum is their ability to sound fresh regardless of what the details of the current song are. All you really need to know at this point is that there are basically 3 speeds utilized by Nasum: fast, faster, and totally fucking fast.
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