There are some musicians that come along and can literally play every instrument and do it well. Such is the case for the grindcore brainchild behind Chairmaker, Neil Erskine. He drops his self-released, debut album titled “Leviathan Carcass” on November 14th. Fueled by the perils of the late capitalist society we inhabit, Neil has been able to craft a fierce sound as a solo outfit. Prior to Chairmaker, Neil was a member of the blackened-grind/hardcore band Chronocide.
Leviathan Carcass is a grindcore baptism in acid and bone. Over its brief but brutal runtime, Neil tosses riffs, blast beats, and guttural screams like shrapnel, ripping open flesh to reveal what writhes beneath. The average run time on these 12 tracks is barely over one minute. From the opening track and already released single, “Ratlicker”, the album bursts into a flurry. This album doesn’t apologize for anything. It demands respect by force.
The guitar tone, drums, and vocals are ruthless but textured. There’s no fluff and no filler. Each track is a sucker punch and a short cut to the throat. Yet in that tightness, there’s space in the compositions. You’ll hear tremolo bursts and breakdowns that let your guts settle for a moment or two. Just enough to breathe and glance at the wreckage before the music hits you again. The mix is clean but sharp. You hear every snare crack, every vocal rasp, and every bass surge. It’s the kind of production that doesn’t polish the brutality but sculpts it and frames it.
The songs have grit and focus. Chairmaker doesn’t overreach in this offering. They don’t try to stretch beyond the damage they intend to inflict on the listener. The song writing shows balance. It’s savage, but not sloppy; chaotic but controlled. The fact that this is a one-man (or minimalist) vision only sharpens it and impresses the hell out of me.
With the being said, grindcore is definitely a niche genre and not for everyone. The genre has the danger of monotony with bands producing too many songs that blur together in a fog of fury. The trick is injecting hooks, tempo changes, and breaks so each track so it breathes differently. Chairmaker offers you those varying pieces enough to keep you engaged.
Leviathan Carcass won’t be a record you live with gently. It’s a record you feel in your ribs, in your throat, in your silence afterward. Chairmaker might only be beginning, but with this debut he’s already forging his place with this project. Fans of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed need to check this out and allow this to decimate their lives.
