Combatwoundedveteran are a hardcore band from Ithaca, NY that take various influences from grind, powerviolence, and screamo to create a harsh sound of their own. They have created a multitude of splits, one which they're most famous for by collaborating with the influential hardcore screamo band Orchid, which in turn helped Combatwoundedveteran to create a harder, rougher sound of their own. Since they did so much with so many different bands, Combatwoundedveteran decided to compile most of their best work into one album; thus we have
This is Not an Erect, All-Red Neon Body.
This is Not... is a 42 track monster of a grind, powerviolence album and while it's not necessarily long in nature being a grind album, it is an exercise in unrelenting fast tempo, horrific imagery, and crushing pain. You're likely to never be the same again after embarking on this journey; look at the album cover for visual proof that this is a dirty, I'm going-to-hell-for-even-listening-to-this display of your audible threshold. A man vividly close to his death bed, vomiting his entire intestinal line nearly perfectly encapsulates the feel of the album; tortured, brutal, and borderline disgusting. The album can get monotonous at times, as songs bleed into each other. But that's not to say that these guys aren't versatile with their instruments; drums more or less stay the same tempo, but they are powerful and helped along by combative guitar riffs and thumping bass playing which all lead to the quick pace of the album. One visual akin to the album along with the brutality of the album-cover is of Road-Runner, the fast as hell cartoon character that would disappear in the blink of an eye while Coyote was left dumbfounded and agitated. It's a good example of the effect of
This is Not... with you, being the Coyote, astonished and irked at the album which is Road-Runner, fast and unforgiving in your attempt to catch your breath.
While at times too monotonous and samey for its own good,
This is Not... is a great compilation of grind and powerviolence that should be added to any hardcore fan's catalogue. Combining many influences from Orchid's hardcore screamo sound, to grind-based fast tempo music parallel to early Man Is The Bastard and Assuck, Combatwoundedveteran have developed their own take on the hardcore scene, albeit a horrifying one. If you're feeling up to the challenge, give Combatwoundedveteran a spin and hear for yourself an excellent grind band blasting away.
