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In the tradition of fast as fuck 80’s hardcore that holds all the energy and none of the constraints, comes REEK MINDS with their debut full size. “Malignant Existence” is chock full of blistering speed and punishing sonics pushed to the absolute limit of the physical form. Just like they’re insane live shows, this will leave you sweating and thirsting and scared. If you ever fantasized about Void covering Negative Approach or Lärm doing Poison Idea, this is essential.
Our take: I was a big fan of this Portland band’s previous two 7”s, so I was eager to hear their debut full-length, and it does not disappoint. If you haven’t checked out Reek Minds, they’re a fast, ugly hardcore band in the vein of Siege, Septic Death, or even Napalm Death. With a few brief exceptions, the tempos on Malignant Existence range from very fast to insanely fast. The songs are jagged, and Reek Minds delights in sudden changes in tempo and groove that throw the listener off their footing. However, their dynamics are more sophisticated than your average grind / power violence band that employs dramatic tempo changes in a cheap, obvious way. Actually, the tempo changes are pretty subtle; it’s all pretty fucking blistering. And while the songs are jagged, they’re not incoherent; it’s incredible how the intensity always builds with no apparent end or limit. I also love Reek Minds’ vocals, and they’re fantastic on Malignant Existence. The singer is super raspy and their delivery is pretty metal in parts, but I also hear a lot of Jerry A in there. Malignant Existence is a short sprint of a record, but Reek Minds isn’t a band to linger on a musical idea, and its leanness means every time I put it on, I play it least twice in a row. I like it more with each listen, too, as appreciating the details—the clear and powerful recording helps here too—takes me from being pummeled to appreciating what skilled pummelers Reek Minds are.