Die Choking, Die Choking

Any time I can get my hands on a grind album or, in this case an EP, I’m going to have a good day. Philly-based trio Die Choking just made me really, really happy with their blend of punk, grind and crusty mayhem. Their self titled EP is just five short tracks, but they are ones that you’ll listen to over and over.

Just under six minutes is all you have to digest Die Choking’s offering as the group gets underway with “Low Finality.” The momentum of this track and it’s pile-driving drum work, off-kilter guitars and Paul Herzog’s shredded delivery lead you briskly into the aptly titled “Momentum.” This second track carries a similar guitar tone as the first as rumbling bass and manic drums fill the air. It’s a bit more varied in terms of rhythm, but still hits fairly heavily.

“Greed War,” however is where it’s at on this self-titled EP. The one minute plus song is all over the place with scatter-brained guitar work and frenzied rhythms shifts. I’d personally like to hear a bit more power to a song like this as it builds to a peak before stopping sharply. “Reason Resist | Reason Rebord” is a killer song that throws the proverbial wood chipper at your skull. The song is all over the place in its short run time. I think “Unistall” is my favorite of the bunch as it speeds along before diving into a lurching crawl for a short measure before once again erupting into your aural cavities with reckless abandon.

Die Choking serves as a good introduction to the band. It shows that the group has plenty of noise, grind and rawness to offer, but it also shows that things could be tightened up a bit. I love the feeling of being off-balance as I listen to each track, but there needs to be something to ground me, keep me pulled in. Perhaps that’s what we’ll be greeted with on their first full-length.