(TheMadIsraeli is treating his sick self with sick music. And why the fuck not?)

For some reason, whenever I’m sick I’m compelled to listen to the messiest, filthiest, nastiest, most obscure death metal I can find.  Maybe I feel like I need music that fits my physical state, in order to exist in equilibrium with the universe, but either way, it’s just a compulsion I have.

Enter Natron.

I had no idea who the fuck Natron were nor why I had never heard of them before.  It turns out that they are tech-death veterans of Italy (and I do mean vets — we’re talking a consistent lineup since ’94) who’s latest album is this year’s Grindermeister.  I’m not here to talk about that one, though, although this review is very much related to it.

Instead, this is about Natron’s 1996 full-length debut, Hung Drawn And Quartered.  Why is this relevant to their new album Grindermeister?  Well, 8/10 of that album was used to re-record songs from Hung Drawn And Quartered.  And by that I mean that all of the songs except one on the new release are re-recordings of the debut.  The reason for doing this?  I’m sure it’s because Hung Drawn And Quartered suffers from some absolutely ghetto-ass, dank-dungeon-recorded-in-a-rehearsal-room-with-a-mic-in-the-center-of-the-room style elbow grease.  I’m not gonna lie, that album sounds like utter shit.  BUT THE MUSIC IS SO FUCKING GOOD I COULD CARE LESS. Continue reading »