King ParrotOne hundred percent grinding thrash.
That’s the skinny on the new record from Melbourne five-piece King Parrot, who’ve shot to fame over the last year or two through a few funny music videos and a chaotic live show. Their efforts won the favour of none other than Phil Anselmo, who lent his hands, ears and studio to Dead Set. Grindcore is defined by its relative simplicity and no-nonsense approach, making it more difficult for bands within the genre to stand out from the crowd. Perhaps what allows King Parrot to do so is that, rather than join the myriad other bands constantly fusing and mismatching other genres in an attempt to create something unique and original, the Parrot have instead pushed the grindcore genre forward within itself: the record is chock-full of more aggression, more humour and more... more-ness.
While most grind bands sit either on the more metal or punk side of the spectrum, Parrot swear allegiance to neither flag. One or two mid-paced numbers and some subdued intros keep the endless carnage from becoming all too much, but if you’re looking for an easy ride, you’re spinning the wrong disc. Demented vocals that leap from faster-than-a-bullet screeches to guttural moans lay over the noisy and distorted instrumental cacophony, with bass, drums and guitar lines all bleeding into each other, wrapped up with a decidedly Australian sense of humour. Dead Set proves that, aside from an infamous live show and hilarious film clips, King Parrot can also pen killer tunes.
