Well it looks like Danny Lilker is making his way back into the throwback segment. I guess listening to Nuclear Assault last week put me in the mood for more dirty bass lines, and this is ever-present in his other band; Brutal Truth. Grind Time!
In 1990, Lilker established one of the earlier American grindcore acts along with vocalist Kevin Sharp, guitarist Brent McCarthy, and drummer Scott Lewis. This group went on to record four albums through out the 1990’s; “Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses” (1992), “Need to Control” (1994), “Kill Trend Suicide” (1996), and “Sounds of the Animal Kingdom” (1997). Even though Brutal Truth wasn’t the first band to play grindcore, they became a dominant force in this sub-genre of extreme music.
Conceptually, the name Brutal Truth is an appropriate fit for the band’s overall sound. Similar to other grindcore bands at the time, there is a lyrical emphasis on social criticism, or exposing the “truth” of society’s problems. Yet, this message is delivered in the most “brutal” way, whether it be the distorted thrashing, the blast beats, or Sharp’s use of growls and high-pitched screams. One of the cool things about Brutal Truth is that, unlike the majority of grindcore bands during that era, they have a nice balance between short and long songs (a long grindcore song is pretty much anything that exceeds 3 minutes in length). This definitely helps newer listeners gain an appreciation for the band, as they are not subjected to an album containing thirty 1 minute-long songs. Nonetheless, Brutal Truth is pure, dirty grind.
Brutal Truth (and grindcore in general) may not be for everyone, but those who are interested in expanding their heavy metal horizons need to check out “Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses” and “Need to Control”.
