Los Angeles
Vitriol
Having run the gambit on forging together classic action movies together with hardcore and grindcore noise, Graf Orlock can rightfully claim to be the undisputed kings of 'cinemagrind'. Some might have thought they might have run out of good samples to use following 'Doombox' and the 'Destination Time', but Graf seem to keep unearthing them. And where better to turn to than 1995 action classic Heat for four tracks of surging violence that reminds us why Graf Orlock are one of the most exciting extreme bands of our ilk.
The artwork, riddled with bulletholes shot into the artwork by the band themselves, is classic Orlock (previous releases have come in packaging styled as a boombox and a facehugging Alien. It's a tidy little homage to Heat but a marker on what the next ten minutes are going to do to you. Each song begins with a now trademark movie sample, followed by battering ram riffs. There's something magical about hearing Robert De Niro's voice prior to Graf Orlock bringing down the hammer – songs like 'Dead Man Talking' rage and thrash with all the intensity we're used to from the band. For me though, the par excellence comes on the finale, 'Quick on the Trigger', a relative grind epic at four minutes, which begins in typical grind/powerviolence style, but around the 1:50 mark, introduces a plodding groove that morphs into a dredging hardcore riff punctuated by a hail of bullets. An awesome finish to a relentless ride.
Not many bands, when I'm just listening to them, makes me want to particular rock out. I mean yeah, I meant nod/bang my head occasionally but nothing too strenuous. Graf Orlock, on the other hand, is a different proposition. The more I listened to 'Los Angeles', the more I wanted to go positively ape in the middle of the street. Seriously, there's something about the insane riffage or the short wait for a riff following a delicious movie sample that grabs me by the throat and rags me about like Bulletstorm's Grayson Hunt.
If anything, I'd like more from Graf Orlock on their next release, and by that I mean a proper follow-up to the 'Destination Time' trilogy. This EP is killer, but although it's not the shortest EP I've ever listened to, ten minutes is still a short amount of time. Still, 'Los Angeles' is the tiny sliver of cake required to have us hungry for more of the same. A bigger piece next time will do nicely.
Peter Clegg
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