There’s a reason why Maryland’s MISERY INDEX crush the vast majority of Death-Grind bands underfoot. In fact, there’s several.

The musicianship, the intensity, the scope, the uncontrolled fucking anger; that’s four, and really, do you need any more? Well, if you do, tough shit. That’s all I’m giving you because 2008’s “Traitors” speaks way the hell louder than any weak-ass jerk-off praise by yours truly.

Relentless from its berserk opener, the instrumental “We Never Come in Peace,” to its huge closing track, “Black Sites,” MISERY INDEX used “Traitors” as an ingenious blueprint for their 2010 masterpiece, “Heirs to Thievery.” That’s not to say that “Traitors” doesn’t outshine its successor in certain aspects, however, as the use of melody is more pronounced and the lyrical content, while clearly a subjective feature, hits just as heavily as it did on “Heirs.” While the 2010 record focused on American imperialism, “Traitors” seems to aim its political sights at every lazy, lying, ignorant motherfucker too blind and too deaf to the fake, the forsaken, and the incorrigibly cheated.

I’ll be the first one to tell you that I steer clear of politics because opinions are like assholes….and so on. And I’m sure vocalist/bassist Jason Netherton would probably be none too proud with my lack of progressivism, but, in all honesty, I didn’t become a MISERY INDEX fan because of their lyrics – that happened afterwards. I became a fan because their music is that insane type of Metal hybrid that gets and keeps the blood flowing.

These guys very rarely miss hitting the artery.   

Fast, tremendously heavy, and intelligent, MISERY INDEX is setting the standard for Metal that is as fierce as it is thought-provoking. “Traitors” has a power to it that many bands could only dream of emulating. There’s no show-off bullshit here. No posturing. No acoustic interludes. MISERY Index want your fucking attention and you goddamn better well give it.

The nukes: “Theocracy,” Traitors,” “Ghosts of Catalonia,” and “Thrown into the Sun.”

(Online December 7, 2010)