Brainbombs - Urge To Kill (Album Review)

 

Brainbombs - Urge To Kill

(1999)


My copy: 2019 reissue by Armageddon Shop. 


The Brainbombs from Sweden followed their infamous 1996 LP with 1999’s Urge To Kill; a festering wound of brutal noise-rock and sickening lyrics that draw inspiration from acts of violence. Controversial lyricism aside, the question at hand is whether their take on industrial-grade sludge guitar is compelling enough to keep the album afloat through nine tracks. While some earlier tracks are duds, the best material here will have you nodding your head along to the explosive force of the instrumentals. 

Oscillating distorted guitar wavers at first on “Slayer” before the full might of the blown-out production washes over you like a mixture of grease and toxic waste. The guitars are exceedingly tinny, with the bass mostly lost, but there are hints of a groove buried beneath the whining feedback. The lyrics are told from the perspective of a deranged murderer, shouted and sighed in English under the waves of noise. While the lyrics are intentionally disgusting and violent, they are often swept under the cacophonous guitars anyway. By “Slutmaster” I more or less began to understand the band’s real goal: generally there is one singular riff that is attacked and bent through destroyed guitars to the point that the music is more akin to industrial destruction. If it weren’t for the occasional bass “melody” and the drums this would share more with field recordings of engines dying. 

“Salome” showcases their taste for throwing some vibrato on one of the guitars to create a whirlwind effect, though this is easily one of the weaker tracks. The swung instrumentals of “Ass Fucking Murder” almost make me feel like less of a freak for admitting that the absurd title and subject matter are somewhat of a selling point - in that it’s so edgy that it becomes hilarious. Then the pounding menace of “Maybe’s” blues-driven grumble kicks in and everything falls into place: this track’s raw energy is incredible and addicting. “Down In The Gutter’s” sleazy lead guitar sounds like a psychopath’s mental interpretation of classic-rock while “Stupid And Weak’s” faster tempo and building drums help split up the mid-tempo offerings. 

The sadistic narration backed by the sloppy, detuned progression on “Driving Through Leeds” might convince even the purest of souls to embrace vulgarity for a day. The radiating force of the guitars winds to a close on “Filthy Fuck” with foul lyrics that would force an axe murderer to blush.

The Brainbombs have made cryptic remarks in interviews, describing the band more as a force than a musical pursuit - putting aside their desire to appear enigmatic and cool, there is something almost otherworldly about their use of repetition and lo-fi production. Urge To Kill is a strangely fascinating noise-rock/industrial injection that shoots a combination of adrenaline and disgust straight into your brainstem. Art like this is often crudely dismissed, and while it’s understandable how one could mistake it for effortless drivel, it’s also important to consider that there are very few that have successfully emulated this sound.

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