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Straighthate – “Indigenous”

BlastBeat Mailmurder, 2006

By George Skafidas email

Opinionated, outspoken and armed with noteworthy musicianship, Straighthate are truly a force to be reckoned with when it comes to extreme music.

They hail from Athens , Greece and “Indigenous” marks as their first full-length (preceded by 2004’s “Grim Memories” mini-CD).

With one foot planted firmly in the band’s grindcore/hardcore roots, and the other one in the metal spectrum, the five-piece draws its influences heavily from the whole, past and present, Relapse roster to deliver a work of remarkable high quality.

“Indigenous” sets out, through 12 gripping, well worked-out compositions, to re-establish the importance of indigenous cultures in the minds and the hearts of its listeners.

Shrieking, high-pitched (mainly) vocals, hammering drums, thrashing guitar riffs and thundering bass lines all work together coherently towards that end.

The album kicks off in a straight-up, no bullshit, all guns blazing kinda way that brings back late 80s grindcore and early 90s death metal memories, a pattern which more or less remains prevalent until track six (“Curse the Unholy Corpse of Jesus”).

From track seven (“Stench of Immortality”) onwards, black metal influences start breaking in and this is where Straighthate totally shred. In songs such as “Kollapse”, “Procreate” and “Stench of Immortality” the guitar lines project a feeling of grim, unholy and rare-to-find blackness that’s bound to haunt the mind for weeks. Then, a “post”, acoustic six-minute interlude comes to calm things down and lead the sonic journey of “Indigenous” to its apocalyptic, cathartic end.

A strong and genuine anti-christian stance drives the whole concept and battles lyrics-wise middle class kids, the “cannibalistic” mentality of contemporary societies and “the holy stench” in defense of a past that’s gone but not forgotten.

Since crystal balls and tarot cards do not actually fall within the areas of my expertise, I cannot really answer Straighthate’s question “which one of us is gonna die first?”

What I know though with certainty is that these 12 impiously irreverent Straighthate songs can easily secure us all a place in hell.

Hell it is then.

morethansounds/08 May 2007



	STRAIGHTHATE Straighthate – “Indigenous” BlastBeat Mailmurder, 2006 By George Skafidas email Opinionated, outspoken and armed with noteworthy musicianship, Straighthate are truly a force to be reckoned with when it comes to extreme music. They hail from Athens , Greece and “Indigenous” marks as their first full-length (preceded by 2004’s “Grim Memories” mini-CD). With one foot planted firmly in the band’s grindcore/hardcore roots, and the other one in the metal spectrum, the five-piece draws its influences heavily from the whole, past and present, Relapse roster to deliver a work of remarkable high quality. “Indigenous” sets out, through 12 gripping, well worked-out compositions, to re-establish the importance of indigenous cultures in the minds and the hearts of its listeners. Shrieking, high-pitched (mainly) vocals, hammering drums, thrashing guitar riffs and thundering bass lines all work together coherently towards that end. The album kicks off in a straight-up, no bullshit, all guns blazing kinda way that brings back late 80s grindcore and early 90s death metal memories, a pattern which more or less remains prevalent until track six (“Curse the Unholy Corpse of Jesus”). From track seven (“Stench of Immortality”) onwards, black metal influences start breaking in and this is where Straighthate totally shred. In songs such as “Kollapse”, “Procreate” and “Stench of Immortality” the guitar lines project a feeling of grim, unholy and rare-to-find blackness that’s bound to haunt the mind for weeks. Then, a “post”, acoustic six-minute interlude comes to calm things down and lead the sonic journey of “Indigenous” to its apocalyptic, cathartic end. A strong and genuine anti-christian stance drives the whole concept and battles lyrics-wise middle class kids, the “cannibalistic” mentality of contemporary societies and “the holy stench” in defense of a past that’s gone but not forgotten. Since crystal balls and tarot cards do not actually fall within the areas of my expertise, I cannot really answer Straighthate’s question “which one of us is gonna die first?” What I know though with certainty is that these 12 impiously irreverent Straighthate songs can easily secure us all a place in hell. Hell it is then. morethansounds/08 May 2007