Track Review: “Heart Of Lead” by RIPPINGDEXD

Created in part as a biproduct of the period affectionately known as the great plague years, RIPPINGDEXD is the solo project of multi instrumentalist Shezer Sherrin in an effort to master the dark arts of recording in between regular band activities. Taking on vocals, guitars, drum programming and synths as well as mixing and mastering, the first demo emerged in 2021 titled “There’s Nothing Easy About Easygrind” with a logo from Jamie Holmes of Newbury easycore legends Big Drink and guest vocals from Bone of Reading zombiedeath crazies Evil Brain Taste. That gave the project momentum and and EP “Death and Misery” followed in 2022 before single “Nihilism Through Pleasure” but here’s were things get complicated. Sherrin’s initial idea was to take the adamantium skeleton of HM-2 Deathgrind and fuse to it elements of 2000’s Pop Punk, Metalcore, Electronic, Grime and Drum ‘n Bass. So how does one maintain the variety that is the spice of life for new cut “Heart Of Lead“?

Sounding like the bastard child of Pitchshifter, Zebadiah Crowe and The Mad Capsule Markets with rampaging drum programming and a real 8-bit video game nostalgia “Heart Of Lead” speaks to lovers of Industrial tinged noises and sounds like it could inspire a comeback for Nintendocore junkies Jumpman. Raw and unapologetic, the soundscape is primitive and yet has promise, the cut feels initially like waking up trapped in a Japanese video game arcade after a night on absinthe. While the lyrics are intriguingly sour, the timing of the vocals doesn’t quite feel right until the dark spoken word in the final moments, something which appeals to the rough and ready nature of the sound and yet is a juxtaposition. Similarly the ear worm main riff is frighteningly catchy before jarring against the primitive beat of the Grime chorus, which feels a little unnatural but isn’t that the point? The project is one that finds comfort in discomfort which makes it something of a guilty pleasure.