King Parrot - Holed Up in the Lair (EP)
Agonia Records
Grindcore
4 songs (7:24)
Release year: 2020
Agonia Records
Reviewed by Goat

Zad says:

Australian reprobates King Parrot shouldn't be new to you, having been excreting their form of sloppy-but-fun grind/thrash/punk for ten years now. But if they are, it's understandable as the strongest impact to their music comes from live shows, which are currently curtailed thanks to a certain global pandemic! Accordingly, having new writing sessions delayed, the five-piece resurrected a few songs recorded during a 2017 tour stopover at ex-Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo's Louisiana studio and released them as a limited EP. Being grindcore, this is very limited with four songs in just over seven minutes, but the band more than make an impact in that time, mixing genres up freely to great effect. Opener Banished Flawed then Docile, the longest track present at over two minutes, blasts in and rocks itself into a frenzy, dipping right down into a sludgy trawl before kicking back into punky speed, infectious riffing and vocalist Youngy's squawks keeping your ears peeled.

It's an enjoyable start, and possibly the best track present, although tastes will vary. Blunder to Asunder is a little more metallic and thrashy, Nor is Yours even punkier with Anselmo popping up on backing growls, and closer Kick up a Stink takes a blackened turn with intense speed, like a twisted Impaled Nazarene on helium. And what better way to finish than ending with a (sampled?) fart, a childish wink at its audience! Said audience for seven-minute grind EPs will be, of course, more than happy to rock out to this in the shared memories of past gigs, and the hopeful wish that we'll all be back to the moshpit soon. This makes it more than just some drunken Aussies popping out grind, but a symbol of humanity defiant in the face of pandemic doom, and as such is vital for your "Annoy the neighbours" lockdown playlist!

Alex says:

It is probably a matter of semantics whether to qualify Australians King Parrot as deathgrinders or hardcore punkers. Both labels can be applied successfully. Whatever the definition, Holed Up in the Lair serves the purpose, whether these Aussies had it planned that way or not. This is wacko music meant to be allowing for some sort of release whether you feel mental, angry, anxious or all of the above.

If hardcore punk is only applicable for D-beat speeds, yet shorter tracks, Holed Up in the Lair checks off the boxes on the latter, but it does fluctuate between D-beat and slower torture in unpredictable shifts (Banished, Flawed then Docile, Blunder to Asunder). If deathgrind needs to have total downtuneage and bottom-of-the-barrel vocals, then King Parrot lays it on in layers, with vocals coming in higher, cleaner and definitely more hysterical, i.e. closer to punk. There are remnants of structure here, in short bits, in Kick Up a Stink, but the final fart shows how much the band cares about what you think of their output, yet Nor is Yours can be called quasi-melodic with its twangy guitar, so some sort of thought went into which note follows which on this ultra-short EP.

I swallowed this EP in one short bite, driving a short stretch of highway at 80 mph, so Holed Up in the Lair was over before I knew it. I remember things being crazy in a one short outburst, and that is probably where this ends.

Killing Songs :
Banished Flawed then Docile, Blunder to Asunder
Goat quoted no quote
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