Review
Retox
Ugly Animals

Many wondered what was next for Justin Pearson. The man known for many project (Swing Kids, The Locust, 31G Records, etc) had been out of the musical limelight for awhile. Late last year Retox announced their formation and released a demo. The demo was a nice surprise as it was similar to the early material of The Locust but with and of the synth based bits from that band.

It's no secret that the members of Retox are talented when it comes to spastic grind. This album does little to avoid proving that yet again. By pairing down the little extras the band seem to be out to prove themselves more than ever. From the first song "The World Is Ending, And It's About Time" The BPM stays high save for a few breaks. The good news is the band also doesn't dwell on the songs for long none of the track reach even 1:30 save for the final track. This does them well as the songs are great but don't need to be long either (who really needs a 4 minute grindcore song anyway?)

The guitars and vocals are remarkably clear in the mix. With most grind styled band the drums and bass tend to take over swallowing much of anything else that the band is doing. In this case Pearson's screeching vocals really help soaring above the other instruments and taking charge throughout. The guitars themselves stay interesting while still keeping up with the beat. The riffing sometimes falls into noise territory or slightly more metallic structures and this also helps to break up any monotony that could arise.

Retox have, in a short time, not only made themselves known but have also made a strong case for themselves to be noticed. The band stay true to their roots while still doing something slightly different. While the band, at least for now, will probably best be known for their past bands this record should help to seperate from that just a bit.