Grindpad - Finger Collector Crew

One knows they are in for some fun when they see an album cover with a great white shark imitation from Kill Bill. Nevermind the tattooed bikini clad swordstress… check out the suits and chum! Netherlands’ Grindpad has always been known to be a bit aquatic focused with their artwork and also know how to sound aggressive while having fun at the same time. They’ve been around for 2006 but only recently released their full length debut back in 2020 which received pretty decent reviews. More of a play on Jaws or Sharknado, these Death Thrashers mostly sound like a rougher version of Exodus or Slayer mixed with the attitude of Municipal Waste, so don’t expect a serious, down to earth approach. Enter this band with a grain of salt and enjoy the humor in the music.

Their latest EP “Finger Collector Crew” pretty much follows the same vein of their last album “Violence.” Expect mid paced Thrash riffs in the vein of Slayer’s “Christ Illusion” and quite a bit of tongue in cheek lyrics with a bit of a Hardcore approach such as the opening ‘A.M.D.’ For a bit of that shark based humor, enjoy ‘Santa Cruz’ which has a bit more of a classic Heavy Metal chug to it; the lyrics might make one roll their eyes but the mid paced riffs are something to really stick with the head. Grindpad also throw in a few covers, most notably from the legendary Anthrax with ‘Gung Ho.’ Compared to the other tracks which are aggressive all the way through, this song kind of has a playful beginning before exploding. It ends up being a bit faster than what Grindpad usually do, but fits well enough with the humorous side of the band due to the lyrics. Overall, there isn’t too much new here for those who know Grindpad well, but for new fans it is a nice dip in the shallow end to get accustomed to their music. Pretty basic Thrash with some Punk and mid range Death Metal styled vocals, but overall fun and worth listening to for those who need to get some energy going for them.

3 / 5 STARS