This CD is a split between legendary powerviolence (like grindcore, but more punk than metal) band Despise You and nihilistic, surprisingly creative drum machine-driven grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Despise You's 18 tracks, which make up the bulk of the disc, are their first material to be released in over a decade, but stylistically and sonically little has changed from their earliest 7" singles and EPs. Only five tracks are more than a minute long, and some are less than half that. Their two vocalists (one pissed-off-sounding dude and a second, much higher-pitched voice that either belongs to a woman or a small boy) provide an interesting, almost Atari Teenage Riot-style contrast to each other, and track titles like "They All Died Is What Happened," "Bankrupt Social Code," and "Yes Officer/No Officer" convey a classic hardcore/punk spirit. There are only two surprises -- a cover of Fear's "I Don't Care About You" with rewritten lyrics (it's also been retitled "Fear's Song"), and "Cedar Ave. (Was the Best Place to Watch People Ascend to Heaven)," a nearly four-minute doomy crawl. As for Agoraphobic Nosebleed, their seven songs aren't as retro-thrashy as their last full-length, the disappointing Agorapocalypse. "Half Dead" is a slow trudge, half Melvins, half Flipper; "As Bad As It Is " features shredding guitars and machine-gun drum machine like the ANb of old; three under-a-minute blasts follow; and the disc concludes with another would-be thrash anthem, "Possession," and another sludgefest, "Burlap Sack." If this is a contest, Despise You are the winners, but both bands deliver what their fans expect on this entertaining release. ~ Phil Freeman, Rovi
01 Bereft - :38 02 Repeat until you fail - :14 03 Roll call - 1:10 04 3/26/00 - :22 05 Three day hold - :34 06 Yes officer/no officer - :27 07 Fear's song - 1:47 08 Two or ten faces - :27 09 Shit goes in shit comes out - :36 10 You can't fix me don't trip - :53 11 Painted gray - 1:24 12 All the regimes you hold most dear - :33
13 Destinial - :46 14 Bankrupt social code - :28 15 Seven funerals - :57 16 They all died is what happened - 1:31 17 ...and expirations - :28 18 Cedar ave. (was the best place to watch people ascend to heaven) - 3:28 19 Half dead - 4:33 20 As bad as it is... - 2:13 21 Miscommunication - :24 22 Los infernos - :26 23 Ungrateful - :50 24 Possession - 2:40 25 Burlap sack - 4:40