6th May 2024

Review: “Queen Corrosia” by Soul Grinder (2nd Anniversary)

Created from the festering primordial ooze often found in low budget horror movies with the exception of vocals recorded at Sisterly Silence Studios with engineer Cory Gehrich, “Queen Corrosia” is a completely in house, in band affair from Portland Oregon Thrash overlords Soul Grinder. Instrumentals were recorded at The Rift by drummer Kevin Ross and guitarist Alex Avery, who also handled mixing and mastering while bassist and vocalist April “Prilzor” Dimmick created the artwork to adorned the three track affair. The band were at pains to ensure the record wasn’t viewed as a stop gap release between 2019 album “The Prophecy Of Blight” and 2023’s “Filth Encrusted” and so gave the three cuts a life of their own.

Embodying the party ’til you die spirit, lyrically these three abominations live in a realm where horror, fantasy and Metal meet. Inspired by everything from WASP to Metallica and Judas Priest, the old school Thrash vibes are hard to escape as the driving riffs of the title track rise to the surface as if blasting out of the speakers of a biker bar on an episode of Sons Of Anarchy. Prilzor brings exploitation comic book storylines to life as her growls transition to a cleaner moment with 80’s Metal theatrics. “Divide and Conquer” finds the band throwing down the gauntlet with gang chants and a couple of hellraising solos which are masterfully done, so much so that instrumentally it could be a Trivium demo, such is the musicianship on display. Vocally, Prilzor holds her own, getting those nasty, greasy, grimy, lower hair metal tones nailed while never being afraid to add a higher pitched banshee wail to throw the listener off the scent. Another Troma movie soundtrack classic “Brain Rot” dances on the cerebral cortex with ease, the lyrics of Ross a thinly veiled socially and politically aware dig that is also pretty damned catchy… [7/10]

Track Listing