Search - Misery Index :: Traitors

Guilty of being right

r.pearson | germany | 07/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'dude, you got politics in my metal'

'freak, you got metal all over my politics'



Misery Index - 2 jarring factions that go great together



firstly to all the bubble boys and girls : the notion of 'i don't like being preached to when i listen to music' needs to pull it's ego out of it's fudge tunnel. every song with lyrics is 'preaching' something, so deny your political prejudice and invest in the inspired musicianship and lyrical commentary of one of the few bands today really carrying the DC hardcore ethos to brilliant new heights...and don't just stop with the lyrics, use them as the starting point - and get involved. remember, our government actually depends on your apathy and/or gullibility to maintain it's reckless path through amerikan democrazy - cuz that's how they roll...right over your rights. none of us can afford to ignore the political chains that keep our real freedoms in check and unbalanced

united we stand, divided we simply fall prey...



i just have to add that the first 'movement' of THROWN INTO THE SUN reminds me of just what happens when a band with this much talent dares to slow it down; that syrupy weave is absolutely infectious



the soundtrack to the next revolution will be replete with songs from MI's catalogue...LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION!!!"

F'ing stunning!

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 05/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Misery Index is a very rare find in the music world today because it is constantly improving. Yes, over the course of eight years and five main releases, these Baltimore-based stalwarts have cycled through numerous different guitarists, drummers, and record labels. But one thing has remained the same: They somehow always find a way to get better and more innovative and mature. And the hell of it is, ever since they debuted (with a full-length, "Retaliate," in 2003 -- or even dating back to 2001's "Overthrow" EP, for that matter) this band has always been able to boast it is a great one, and one that stands out head-and-shoulders from almost everybody else on the scene at the time. Thus, some fans may make the mistake in thinking that they know what to expect from a new Misery Index record; but, time after time, listeners everywhere are completely and utterly blown away by it. 2008's "Traitors" is no different. It is a front-running candidate for the best metal release of the year, and even an arguable high-water mark for all of modern music. This album also all-but cements these grindcore/crust punk-inflected death metal behemoths status as simply untouchable.



Misery Index began writing really great and memorable guitar riffs and solos circa 2004's "Dissent," and they have only gotten better since then. Hence, the riffage that guitarists Sparky Voyles and Mark Kloeppel lay down here is positively beastly, and may leave you with a feeling of melted eardrums; and their solos are technically-proficient and rip the air like serrated knife. Equally as great is the performance put on by frontman Jason Netherton. His vocals are practically dripping with crust (making them a unique homage to grindcore primitives Assuck) while he spits venomous lyrics that are simultaneously to-the-point and thought-provoking. His lyrics are memorable, too, and often carry an underlying political theme.



Elsewhere, the rhythm section could bust up concrete, too. One might be tempted to say that Adam Jarvis (who joined the team just in time to deliver a devastating performance on 2006's excellent "Discordia") is a drummer extraordinaire of the highest order -- but even that wouldn't do him justice. Almost never succumbing to predictable time-signatures, Jarvis instead treats his trapkit like an orchestra, and is always quick to annihilate it into tiny splinters whenever maximum thrust is required. In other words, he is constantly laying down one mind-blowing pattern or another, and he plays like he has 20 arms and legs playing polyrhythms. But no matter how just friggin' godly Adam Jarvis is, no one could take anything away from the bass playing of the above-mentioned Jason Netherton. Granted, some credit is due to Kurt Ballou's thunderous production and articulate mixing job, but this album features some of the most pronounced bass work of any Misery Index recording to date! And Netherton's bass may take more-than-one listen to dissect, but he is now officially a solidified bassist, as he fills these songs with strong, guttural bass lines.



Finally, "Traitors" possesses one last attribute that makes it a major musical step forward: Improved songwriting. Indeed, the band clearly paid more attention to varying and maturing its songwriting approach this time around, opting for a greater sense of dynamics, and emotions, and even tossing in some freakish (and well-placed) bits of melody here and there! As a result, these eleven songs are more sonically challenging than what was heard on previous efforts, and there are more standout tracks now, too. "We Never Come In Peace" (apt title, huh?) is a two-minute-long, set-opening instrumental which immediately establishes a foreboding mood with ponderous rhythms, and fiery, chugging guitars anchored by booming drums. "Theocracy" is a probable highpoint, on account of the track exploding with muscular, scaldingly hot, cast-iron riffs, excellent soloing, a solid bass bottom (including a mini, distorted bass interlude), and, in all truthfulness, some of the absolute finest drumming ever put to wax! Jarvis takes up most of "Theocracy"'s spotlight with a ferocious, varied, dexterous, and super-human-esque display of frenetic gravity rolls, grinding blast beats, and slamming double bass fills that really must be heard to be believed!



"Partisans of Grief" begins as a fairly catchy number with rhythmic, marching chords, and martial beat, and its increasingly momentous tempo soon gives way to some interesting guitar interplay (including substantially more melodic picking, chunky power chords that bulge out of your speakers, and razor-sharp, buzzsaw riffing), and machine-gun drumming. Guy Kozowyk (of The Red Chord fame) also chips in here with an excellent vocal cameo, thus helping to give "P.O.G." an epic feel. By comparison, the ensuing title track takes a bit more of a "bare bones" approach (relative term, folks) by using thundering rhythms, a textbook hardcore breakdown (complete with a bellow of "go!"), and an honest-to-goodness catchy chorus. Yes, it is just a simple, shouted refrain of the titular phrase over and over, but the chorus is still very powerful, visceral, gore-soaked, and instantly-memorable. Next up, "Ghosts of Catalonia" offsets short-yet-sweet spots of melodic axe work, including what sounds like an acoustic guitar (*gasp!) with steadfast, death-tinged grindcore to excellent effect.



The next song after that, though, "Occupation," pulls out all the stops, and rips from start to finish with a tempo that tears your head off, technical, cascading guitar leads, and calamitous, skull-crushing hyperblasts. Tracks seven and eight, "Thrown Into The Sun" and "Black Sites," continue on the same path that "Occupation" started down -- i.e. uncontrolled and bludgeoning brutality from coast-to-coast -- but the former tune is also of note for its guest vocals from At The Gates legend Tomas Lindberg, and the latter for its crafty use of raspy vocal hooks, mosh pit-ready choruses, and a fairly melodic solo near the beginning. "American Idolustry" is another uncompromising blastfest, and is highlighted by more insane drumming, and also blistering (yet oddly hummable) tremolo picking and wicked lyrical content. But then the listener is tossed a curveball in the form of song number ten, "Ruling Class Canceled." This tune clocks in at less than four minutes in length, but it's absolutely an epic in its own right. Indeed, with a terrifically ominous, deliciously sinister, positively spooky, and almost startlingly restrained, grinding plod, "Ruling Class Canceled" is not only a big album standout; it is also a standout song in the band's whole discography. Fear not though, because the thrashy, jackhammer-fast closer, "Black Sites," should settle the nerves of even the most insatiable death-grind purist.



What else needs to be said? It would seem a bit redundant because of the obviousness of it all to say that "Traitors" is an extreme metal masterpiece and an absolutely essential listen for all fans of the genre worldwide. After all, it is, without question, Misery Index's magnum opus, and when considering their always high standards of excellence, that is REALLY saying something!"

Buckle up, folks, it's a bumpy ride

Zach Gates | Pennsylvania, USA | 06/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Undoubtedly Misery Index's reputation precedes them. An offshoot of the notoriously heavy Dying Fetus, MI's unique little brand of brutal (not to mention political) death/grind/whatever is practically in a class of its own. If you've never listened to the band before, I suggest looking up the video for "Traitors" on YouTube for a sampling. Simply put, this album is heavy, and it is loud.



Personally, through the Retaliate and Discordia years, I'd seen Misery Index as a sister band to Dying Fetus that had yet to come into its own. Here, they've done just that. The vocals aren't exactly any one kind, it's not a hardcore yell or a death growl, but it's pounding and adds to the sense of urgency the lyrics portend. The guitar chugs along strongly, and if you like your drums with double bass you're gonna be in heaven. The occasional breakdown, too, but nothing out of place.



One flaw in a lot of technical death is that the sweeps and scales situate on high notes, leaving the music sound oddly schizophrenic with thumping drums and deep growls while guitar riffs tweedle along high on the guitar. Not so here. The guitar stays deep with the rest, compounding the assault on the ears. Which isn't to say the music lacks variety; far from it. Simply that the band does not sacrifice heaviness for the sake of showing off their virtuoso skills.



To make it short: buy this one. If you like ANY of the death/grind type bands, this might prove the best purchase you could make."