By: Anders

Posted: Jun 30, 2005

Earache Records has made an agreement with the American underground label Willowtip Records, to release their releases in Europe. This also means that some of the labels old cult releases, now for the first time is being released in Europe. Like this mastodon of a split album, that first saw the light of day, back in 2002 on Willowtip. The album consists of, back then, 2 new tracks from each band and a cover from each band as well.

Misery Index should be known to you all, the band that was formed by the Dying Fetus out breakers Jason Netherton and Sparky Voyles back in 2000. This split album marked their 3rd release and offer a good mix of brutal death metal and bone breaking hardcore. The blasting snaredrum leads the attack, the hard pumping guitar riffs follows and the sporadic doublebass drumming lays out the artillery. The vocals are an angered and spiteful blend of growl and a hardcore snarl. Very effective and catchy songwriting, which displays a band on their way forward. Though don’t expect any of the heavy and brutal death metal, Misery Index introduced with "Retaliate", these 2 tracks and the cover of Disrupt’s 'Reality Distortion', are much more hardcore oriented.

Commit Suicide delivers violent and very direct death/grind. Good grinding guitar parts, driving and very catchy. The drumming is fast and the hi-hat gets a good beating. The low growl is good and grim and the screaming growl is well executed too. The song writing is clever and the band shows some great details. The band has chosen to cover Death’s 'Open Casket'. Not an easy track to cover, though Commit Suicide hits the right gloomy and dark atmosphere, an okay effort. A good start for this great act, they went on and delivered 2 full length albums, but today Commit Suicide is on hold.

This is a very good split album indeed, 3 well performed tracks from each band. Both bands have moved on and developed their style, quite a bit. Though this is still a piece of the history and should be obtained by every fan of the 2 bands in questions. Too bad the album is as short as it is, but that doesn’t move the quality of the music.

Rating: 7,5/10

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