I have a soft spot for those noise punk and grindcore albums that blaze by in ten minutes or less. You know the kind. They're not something you listen to every day, but they are the perfect unrelenting catharsis on those days when you feel like the whole world is against you.
Dohrn's self-titled debut is that kind of album. Comprised of fifteen tracks that zoom by in 8.4 minutes, this album is also a vehicle for some serious social commentary. The lyrics are extremely (anti-)political and lash out at just about everything. A couple of the songs are even in Spanish. But this is coming straight off the lyrics sheet because with a band like this, there is no hope of deciphering the maniacal shrieks.
Dohrn definitely falls under the grindcore heading, but it's the more punk-inflected and better variety of grindcore. Dohrn is extremely spastic (especially the drums), dissonant, and feedback-heavy. But unlike some of their contemporaries, not all their thirty-second bursts sound the same. If you listen close enough, there are some moody little riffs to be found. In fact, there is one instrumental track, "Shotgun Blast to the Face," which is unexpectedly gloomy and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Dohrn has reminded me that there are still fresh approaches to be found in a genre like grindcore.
The production is a bit on the murky side, but I would much rather have this than a crisp production, because that just doesn't work with grindcore. It says explicitly in the liner notes that it was "recorded completely analog," which I always appreciate. I do like how raw the album is; it gives some extra urgency and also amplifies the moody atmosphere, which is somewhat of a rarity in this genre. The only thing that suffers is the guitar sound. Distinguishing individual chords is just about impossible. But I would take attitude and atmosphere over clarity and technical proficiency any day.
One thing I have to mention is that I love the packaging of the album. For one thing, the promo actually came in a case (imagine that!) and because of that, Ethospine Noise is automatically kickass in my book. But what really stood out to me is that the CD is clear except for the thin strip of silver in the middle that actually contains music. I know this has nothing to do with the music, but this is just one of those little details that makes an album special. Also throw in a quote from Noam Chomsky and a suggested reading list, and you have the making for an album that stands out from the pack.
