Exhumed / Iron Reagan, split
I was never really any good at advanced maths like Algebra, Calculus and such, but it stands to reason that if 1 + 1 = 2 then a split EP featuring Exhumed and Iron Reagan should pretty much fucking rock. Right? Seems like a sound formula to me.
On one half you’ve got a group of legendary goregrinders (though they lean more towards your standard death metal these days) and on the other a mini super-group of sorts belting out some viciously awesome thrashcore. What more could you want? Maybe another track or two, but that’s just me being greedy.
Exhumed start off the festivities with two original songs and a couple of covers (Minor Threat and Negative Approach). “Gravewalker” starts off with rolling drums and rumbling bass before the driving, gore-encrusted guitars arrive. Matt Harvey’s vocals are as sickening as ever. The song is catchy and right in the band’s wheelhouse, especially with a bit of the retro-grind vibe about mid way through that harkens back to the band’s early days. “Dead to the World” is even more aggressive than the EP opener as rapid-fire drummming and the dual vocal attack fills the air with death metal goodness.
It’s always interesting to hear how death metal band’s cover songs from other genres. In the case of Exhumed and their Minor Threat cover, the result is pretty fucking awesome. It’s violent and aggressive, while the “Ready to Fight” cover sounds pretty damn good, as well, with more of a grind influence.
Iron Reagan, featuring members of both Darkest Hour and Municipal Waste, arrive on the scene hurling four original cuts, starting off with a song that’s got that classic cross-over sound, but with a good deal more aggression. “Gave up on Giving a Fuck” is probably the best of the group’s songs, as they kick in the door, tear your basement apart with a chugging blend of thrash and hardcore, before drinking all your beer, leaving you an upper decker and rolling like it never happened.
“Mini Lights” has a retro riff and beat combo that fuels the fire of this song’s drive. It’s pulled right from the sleeve of freshly exhumed jean jacket that hasn’t seen the light of day since the 80s. Needless to say, I freakin’ love it. The final song from Iron Regan is not only hilariously titled, but it also delivers the goods. It’s got a vicious delivery from Tony Foresta and churning, driving guitars backed by more solid drum work from Ryan Parrish.
All in all, you can’t ask for anything else from this pair of miscreants. Death, grind, thrash, hardcore, covers, and aggression — all rolled up in a nice little package. Now, crank this as loud as possible and tear some shit up.