Review: “Coronet Juniper” by GridLink

Recorded over five days in Kyoto Japan and released back in 2014 it seemed back “Longhena” would be the final offering from New Jersey Death Grind merchants GridLink. A twenty eight track, twenty three minute blast into the stratosphere of emotional ferocity and mathematical precision it is a piece of work so jaw dropping that it makes the ears of those who have heard it bleed at the mere mention of its name. However it seems that not all that wander are lost as from the wilderness of a myriad of other projects, original members in guitarist Takafumi Matsubara (Formless Master, Takafumi Matsubara), vocalist Jon Chang (No One Knows What the Dead Think, ex-Discordance Axis) and drummer Bryan Fajardo (Cognizant, Noisear) are joined by new bassist Mauro Cordoba (Maruta) for a fourth album in “Coronet Juniper“…

Recorded and mixed by Kevin Antreassian (Downfall Of Gaia, Steaksauce Mustache, The Dillinger Escape Plan) at Backroom Studios the album begins with “Silk Ash Cascade“, a song which blends furious blast beats and banshee roar like vocals with moments of vibrantly toned guitar work and leaves you wondering what you’ve just heard. There are some riffs which reminiscent of Post-Hardcore or Screamo bands like The Fall Of Troy while the pacing and energy is that of lightening in a bottle, the band flying off the BPM scale almost instantly. Changing the guitar tone and diving down a darker rabbit hole, “Anhalter Bahnhof” hits like a Molotov Cocktail, a 70 second burst of pure aggression with the title the name of the World War II gateway to the South and one of Berlin’s infamous Third Reich sites. It’s hard not to marvel at the technical prowess of the musicians, playing this hard and fast with the level of accuracy required to not sound like absolute carnage is an incredible feat in it’s own right. “Pitch Black Resolve” then tears down the blue skies with Chang’s shriller vocal tones permeating the ear drums and opening the mind to another realm of existence, such is their caustic nature. Punching like Bruce Lee with rapid fire jabs left and right in go hard or go home style, the band leave no stone unturned in their search for the ultimate creation of audio oblivion. There is more here than meets the eye however as cuts like “Nickel Grass Mosaic” have melody and leads despite having speed set to maximum overdrive and over multiple listens the nuances within them bleed out in dramatic fashion, giving the album more longevity without taking away from the initial impact. Incidentally the band are capable of playing at slower speeds as the introduction of “Ocean Vertigo” demonstrates with a 28 second atmospheric build at the start of a three minute track that annihilates the weak and severs flesh from bone in an unstoppable adrenaline rush. Chaotic and unhinged while getting eerie towards the end, if this doesn’t get you the next one will.

There is a surprising amount of verve, swagger and even groove in “Octave Serpent“, a 64 second burst of violent turbulence that splits the album clean in half like a hatchet through a skull and paves the way for the title track in mind bogglingly sublime fashion. Naturally “Coronet Juniper” goes off like a grenade as the band throw their bullets in the fire and run like hell, the machine gun drumming and technical musicianship unrelenting. The main riff of this one however offers a little more dynamic, the false ending before the final wave a moment of sheer terror. Arguably the darkest of these cuts is “Zygomatic“, another brutal slab of Death Grind which confirms atmosphere can be done in 70 seconds if you put your mind to it. Almost stifling, it’s probably that they use to keep suspects sleep deprived in far flung corners of the Globe. The next link in the unbreakable chain is “Refrain“, which hints at something more ethereal before setting itself on fire and running down the street screaming blue murder, the buzz saw riff an absolute beast that is just as daftly frantic and frenetic as the rest. Demonic death growls and a scandalous churning riff are at the black heart of “The Forgers Secade” which has an ominous quality as the biggest step away from the bands core sound… without giving any of that away. If you’re not bleeding out the eyes by the time “Revenant Orchard” arrives then you’ve done remarkably well but remember that resistance is ultimately futile. Somewhere within this feral beast there is a dark melancholia and haunting atmosphere that some mere mortals may not hear but GridLink don’t have the time to waste in explaining that… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Silk Ash Cascade
2. Anhalter Bahnhof
3. Pitch Black Resolve
4. Nickel Grass Mosaic
5. Ocean Vertigo
6. Octave Serpent
7. Coronet Juniper
8. Zygomatic
9. Refrain
10. The Forgers Secade
11. Revenant Orchard

“Coronet Juniper” by GridLink is out 15th September 2023 via Willowtip Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp