Brutal Truth: Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses (1992)
“I hope you make sure we’re properly dead before you start!”
Truth be told, I’ve never had more than a passing interest in grindcore, and, living in Brazil from 1986 to ‘94, I was geographically challenged to secure underground, independent records, and therefore late to investigate the style, to begin with.
So, when New York City’s Brutal Truth exploded onto the scene, some 30 years ago, with the aptly-named Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses, and a four- or five-star review in Kerrang! magazine, I knew I wanted ‘in’ but I didn’t quite know what to expect.
Of course I did know Danny Lilker via his exploits with Anthrax, S.O.D., and Nuclear Assault, and I’d certainly raised an eyebrow or two over the curious, seconds-long outbursts (“P.S.A.,” Mother’s Day”) found on the latter band’s Survive and Handle with Care LPs.
Lilker’s latest musical obsession contributed to his unhappy parting with Nuclear Assault, who out-and-out mocked him with their next album, Something Wicked’s ironic nine-second blast, “Art.”
But Danny soon found new, like-minded accomplices in vocalist Kevin Sharp, guitarist Brent ‘Gurn’ McCarthy, and drummer Scott Lewis (formerly of doom extremists Winter, if you can believe that), and the foursome got to work!
By the time they recorded Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses with Englishman Colin Richardson (Carcass, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, etc. and released it through -- who else? -- Earache Records, Brutal Truth had mastered most grindcore fundamentals over two demos and two EPs.
But they were anything but dogmatic, and instrumentally proficient, socio-politically-aware songs like “Birth of Ignorance,” “Denial of Existence,” “Anti-Homophobe,” “Unjust Compromise” showed Brutal Truth hadn’t discarded their past experiences in thrash and death metal.
And, yes, of course there were a couple of those lightning-fast micro-songs in “Collateral Damage” and “Blockhead” that had driven Dan’s former bandmates nuts, along with plenty of full-throttle grinders like “Stench of Profit,” “Ill-Neglect,” and “Regression-Progression.“
When all was said and done, 15 songs later, E.C.D.E.R. was arguably the ultimate technical achievement in grindcore, up to that point, and I still get a huge kick out of favorites like “Walking Corpse” and “H.O.P.E.,” where Lilker’s hysterical screeches joust with Sharpe’s throaty roars.
Ultimately, I have to think that this significant broadening of grindcore’s initial compositional frameworks had a LOT to do with Brutal Truth’s immediate popularity with death metal-loving neophytes like me, though I wasn’t as keen on the industrial experiments found on ‘94’s sophomore Need to Control.
And that’s the brutal truth.
More Death/Grind: Bolt Thrower Realm of Chaos – Slaves to Darkness, Carcass’ Reek of Putrefaction, Extreme Noise Terror’s A Holocaust in Your Head, Napalm Death’s Scum, Terrorizer’s World Downfall.
