Misery Index – Complete Control
Release Date: 13th May 2022
Label: Century Media Records
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Genre: Death Metal, Grindcore, Hardcore.
FFO: Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Terrorizer, Dying Fetus.
Review By: Eric Wilt
When I first heard Misery Index on their 2003 debut album Retaliate, I was coming from a hardcore background. I had been listening to death metal for about four years by that point, but I had cut my teeth on hardcore, and it obviously held a special place in my heart. Misery Index’s blend of hardcore, punk, and grindcore sounded familiar to me, while at the same time it satisfied my constant desire for new death metal bands to listen to. Twenty or so years later, Misery Index is still playing their patented blend of hardcore, punk, and grindcore, and if anything, it is fiercer now than it was back then. Complete Control is Misery Index’s first album for Century Media, and seventh album overall, and it is everything a longtime fan of the band could ask for.
Blazing grindcore passages? Check. Groove-laden hardcore sections? Check. Punk aesthetic? Check. Socially and politically critical lyrics? Check and check.
Everything that has made Misery Index an important part of the death metal underground is present on Complete Control. Some standout songs include The Eaters and the Eaten, which is a ferocious grinder with just enough metallic hardcore to force home the message of the lyrics. Also, of note in this song is the simple but perfectly suited solo that precedes a brief breakdown before the song comes to an end. Another exemplary track on Complete Control is Conspiracy of None which begins with a mid-tempo melodic section before giving over to Misery Index’s hardcore influence which really shows itself during the groove-filled chorus complete with gang (layered) vocals as the words Conspiracy of None are delivered with the angst of a teenager just discovering Nirvana for the first time.
If you listen to Misery Index, you know what you are getting with Complete Control. The lyrics are thoughtful and thought-provoking, and the music is ferocious. The musicianship is first-rate, and the vocal delivery is angry. While Misery Index may bridge the gap between hardcore and death metal for some, many people are going to call them a straight-up death metal band and not think twice. I think both sides are right, and I think, with Complete Control, Misery Index has added another solid addition to their already impressive catalogue.
(4 / 5)
