2003’s Le Mort by Australia’s The Day Everything Became Nothing was one of the best debut full length releases to hit my ears since Alienation Mental’s Ball Spouter. Needless to say I was greatly anticipating hearing more from this Blood Duster/Fuck…I’m Dead side project. 2005’s Slow Death By Grinding does not disappoint. Featured on this release are three brand new tracks, a cover of Satyricon’s "Fuel For Hatred" and a "live" version of the song "Mortem" from Le Mort. Musically the effort is exactly what the album title suggests; slow paced, heavy grind with a bass sound so deep and low it’ll make your ball hairs stand on end. The overall sound is the same as Le Mort with early Cock And Ball Torture-styled chugging guitars, thumping beats and pitch shifted vocals ala Last Days Of Humanity combining to form a giant wall of crushing sound. While the release does sound similar to their debut, there are a few pleasant surprises, including the opening 30 seconds of "Vin Cerro" which sounds like a tribute to Nasum, complete with high pitched shrieks. The cover of "Fuel For Hatred" is another nice addition. While I’ve never been a fan of Satyricon, the approach The Day Everything Became Nothing takes on the song leaves me yearning to hear more. The live track is an interesting addition and is pretty comical. It sounds as though the band recorded the material as a rough demo and simply included fans cheering in the background, as the crowd cheers loudly throughout the entire set. I just can’t see that many people in Australia freaking out over a goregrind band’s live set, as they’re generally too drunk to be able to stand up straight, let alone be able to scream in unison. The artwork for the release is really unique and cool as well. The cover is of a bloody hand hanging out of a bathtub, and as you flip through the booklet you see various high quality photos of each band member’s "death", from hanging to slitting the wrists to choking to death in a pool of vomit. Overall, it’s a nice little package, so if you’re into slow paced goregrind with a killer groove and pitch shifted vocals, this is definitely worth the money, so stop pinching your pennies and invest in Slow Death By Grinding. Bitch!

Written By: Teufel