Die Choking, III
We’re now two decent EPs into the existence of Die Choking and while those releases hinted at the band’s potential, it wasn’t until we finally hit play on their debut full-length that we fully comprehended what was in store. After the buzzing in our brain has subsided and our mental state reset to something resembling status quo, we think we’ve got a grasp on III and its furiously grinding, off-kilter, noisy and punker-than-punk aural drubbing.
While many grind acts simply stomp on the gas pedal and leave a brick sitting there while they tear you a new one, Die Choking are wise to change up the pacing — and they do it quite frequently — allowing you to feel a false sense of security and normalcy prior to unleashing a barrage of flesh-searing riffage and manic drum blasts that’ll leave you dizzied and unprepared for the next track.
There’s nothing technical or calculated about any of the eleven tracks on III. This is a feral, raw and malicious musical adventure if ever there was one. “Millerem” starts off the affair with plenty of start/stop rhythm shifts and blurring riffs to match. The song certainly sets the tone for the rest of the album. With each track weighing in at a minute to a minute and a half, the band never overstays their welcome, jumping and lurching through grind, sludge, noise and more.
“Dwell” is a beast of a song while “Death’s Waveform” is quite simply all over the place. “Bastard of Hyperion” is a churning, malevolent minute of destruction. “Leave it to them” slows things down a bit with massive, sludgy riffs and heavy-handing drum work before letting loose with frantic blasts of gind. “Shake My Hand, Bow Down & Die” is another helping of spastic grind as the trio stomp firmly on your exposed throat, constantly applying more and more pressure until it’s over.
I enjoyed the band’s prior EPs, but while they weren’t wholly outstanding, they did hint at what was to come. Little did we know that the band has something like III in the wings. This album is about as stellar a grind album as you’re going to find. It’s full of rabid aural assault, tempered moments of levity and just the right measure of chaos to make the medicine go down.