4.5/5 stars
King Parrot’s 2012 full-length debut may have bitten your head off, but the Aussie grind lords’ smashing second album will Dead Set rip your face apart.
Dead Set is fatter and angrier than her older sister. For the most part, she’s on a furiously thrashing riff rampage, chucking one big destructive tantrum of kicks and blasts; then once the rage passes, she’ll seethe an undeniably sinister stream of crust, waiting for the next chance to detonate.
Some downright tasty dynamic punches and sophisticated rhythmic conflict separate this record from your stock-standard grind or thrash album. The production efforts are top-notch, and worthy of a name drop to boot – Dead Set was recorded by Phil Anselmo (of Pantera/Down fame), whose creative influence becomes mouthwateringly obvious during a few choice shred solos (special mention to ‘Hell Comes Your Way’).
The record is a lesson in structured modern brutality, concreted by a thick base of devilish downtuned guitars throughout, and punctuated by Matt Young’s signature shrieks. The addition of a few well-placed, feral and low-down growls for contrast is a very nice surprise indeed.
Dead Set is a most sexy aural buffet of bang-your-head moments, sure to please a slew of very solid wall-to-wall (of death) crowds on the band’s current tour.
