Third Degree - Outstay
Selfmadegod
Grindcore with noise elements
13 songs (35'02")
Release year: 2005
Selfmadegod
Reviewed by Alex

As much as I like death metal I don’t think I was ever able to get into grindcore, crustcore and many of its other –core cousins. I figured I’d try it with Third Degree. No idea whether it is the best or the worst the genre has to offer, but the disc came all the way from Poland, and I figure for this mere act it deserves my effort listening and writing about it. I find it interesting sometimes to take a foray into a genre you are not familiar with, pick a random album and see what you think. Who knows, maybe if you like the album more will follow?

Third Degree proceeds with their brand of music along two basic planes. With one direction the name of the game is straightforward guitar attack laid to the sound of fast thundering and quite cool drumming. This is nowhere near the technical death metal of Morbid Angel, but does bring up references to Napalm Death with its 1-2 uncomplicated riff punch (Let’s Hail Satan). Wojtek Blaszkowski (drums) is the band’s highlight behind the kit mixing machine gun blasts and steady double bass. Unconcerned about any shred of melody Third Degree are instead concerned of shredding your listening senses with these barrage and batter style tracks (Sick, Piggsy, Everywhere and Nowhere, This is Not Life!!!). Tomasz Bardega’s throaty voice is not growly by any means, but it fits this one-dimensional fast style. It seemed to me that the band had the most fun with these non-nonsense fast and thrashing numbers, and I have to say those tracks had my feet stomping.

On many occasions, however, Third Degree tries to put up the battle between meandering guitars and speedier drums (No Forgiveness). Punkier Motorhead with breakdowns is replaced by downright slow and psychotic dirges (Ojcze Moj, Divine Integrity, Zamienie). Tribal drumming beat (the closer Zamienie) or Wojtek’s more traditional drumming style (Pope Died Tonight), in these songs grinding stretchy guitar parts sound like Neurosis. At the sake of being called “out of touch” with modern reality I will say that I do not like Neurosis and, as a result, much of the Outstay material was lost on me.

Third Degree is a hard working band, this second full-length being awaited by the fans of European grindcore. As Third Degree travels around the grindcore festival circuit they will undoubtedly make more friends, who would not need this scribe to tell them what to like.

Killing Songs :
Let's Hail Satan, Piggsy, Sick
Alex quoted 55 / 100
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