LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER – Eterno Treblinka (Relapse Rec.)

When I first received Looking for an Answer’s latest full-length (their first for Relapse Records), I was expecting some tough-guy hardcore — I can’t remember exactly which hardcore band it is, but I’ve got an album around here somewhere that’s got this Spanish band’s name as the primary lyrics to one of their songs. At any rate, I’m glad I didn’t listen to my gut before popping Eterno Treblinka into the stereo. What erupts from the speakers after hitting “play” is some of the dirtiest, ass-kickingest and nastiest d-beat influenced death-grind I’ve heard in a long time.

To put it simply, these Spaniards know their shit — delivering thick, crusty guitars over-top unrelenting, jack-hammer drums. There’s a good bit of texture applied to this album that only adds to the dirty vibe that these guys are throwing off. Toss in some deep, guttural growls/screams and you’ve got yourself one a good bit of grinding death metal akin to an unholy marriage of Napalm Death, Terrorizer and the more modern Kill The Client. And all 17 tracks in just over 30 minutes time.

After the brief noise intro, these guys get down to business with some seriously angry punk-infused grind. Listening to this album is like sitting face-to-face with an ill-tempered silverback gorilla that is prone to violent mood swings and a sharp distaste for the human race. It’s a violent album that at times comes across predictable, but for the most part hits you from every direction possible with blinding blasts, punk rhythms and grinding vitriol. Like I said, these dudes know how to deliver the blast!

Some of the more standout tracks that you need to check out are the volcanic eruption of “Guerra Total,” the relatively slow moving “La Peste Roja,” the rising fury of “Revelacion,” the fairly groove oriented “Terror Carnivoro” and the ferocious “Christianislam.” Now that’s not to say that the rest of the album blows chunks — it sure as fuck doesn’t. Those are just some of the songs that tend to kick me in the teeth each time I hear them.

Eterno Treblinka is one of those albums that has just enough modern day technique, as well as an old school, throw-back aesthetic that the album isn’t nothing short of infectiously awesome. Thick grind delivered in quick violent eruptions of riffs and blastbeats is cool by me any day of the week.