Making Mr. Bungle seem like a group of laid back stoners, Under the Running Board just explodes within the first 5 seconds of playback. Fusing grindcore, experimental jazz and the essence of hardcore into a perfect sphere of pure manic ferocity, these guys have managed to blow away most conventions in only seven short minutes of airtime. Hopefully this is a preview into their sick little world, for everything here works, the grindcore vocals, the muted guitar intricacies, hypergroove drumming... Meshuggah and John Zorn adopt a NYC generic straight edge band and raise it as their bastard child. A cut above the noise coming out today, this EP (at $5) is definitely worth putting on the ol' Christmas list. Relapse also carries the self-titled first album, if you want to hear the beginnings of the psychosis.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Under the Running Board
1998 Relapse Records