Hailing from Texas and firmly on the Death Metal side of the genre, Insect Warfare here grind out twenty tracks, with not a single one reaching the two minute mark. Not only have the band got a pretty kickass guitar tone and a drummer who can blast like his life depends on it, but they possess a vocalist equally capable of rather brilliant grunts and shrieks, often using both in the same song.

What does this mean? It means hell fuckin’ yeah, that’s what it means! It’s been far too long since your humble reviewer subjected his ears to the sort of head-banging, neck-snapping Grindcore that once formed part of his daily musical experience, and a chance encounter with an Insect Warfare track from Relapse’s 2008 underground grind compilation This Comp Kills Fascists Vol 1 reminded me all too clearly what I was missing. Originally released in 2007, Earache picked World Extermination up last year and gave the Metal public another chance to experience what is probably the most fun you can have with twenty-two minutes and a CD player. Yep, at just twenty-two minutes this is shorter than most bands’ EPs, but don’t let that hold you back, as this is some of the best Grindcore I’ve heard in a while.

Sadly, the band are now split up, but World Extermination (their only “full”-length) is more than worth a listen, as you may have assumed by now. There’s little difference noticeable between tracks as they zoom past; the basic songwriting formula is grind, grind, and grind some more, the band pausing their assault for the odd bit of groove before returning to grinding. And, as any grindfreak worth their salt will tell you, that’s all you need. It’s not catchy or especially technical, it won’t rival Pig Destroyer or Antigama in out-there fun, but it is full of exactly the sort of punkish riffs and thrashy rhythms that speak to that special part of your primordial brain and make you lose your shit each and every time you hear it.

Not much more really needs to be said, but if the words ‘Napalm’ and ‘Death’ or ‘World’ and ‘Downfall’ make your eyes light up, then you really should check this out. Everyone else, deduct fifty from the score given and go and read about something less awesome, you sad, sad people. You don’t know what you’re missing.