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Heavy Metal Thunder Cybergrind

Genres Heavy Metal Speed Metal Thrash Metal Death Metal Grindcore Cybergrind

Cybergrind

Grindcore handed to a drum machine: tempos no human could play, digital noise, and no real interest in being enjoyed.

Active years
1997 – present
Origin
USA
Family
Industrial / Post / Avant
Bands here
10

Before you press play

Explicit content

Graphic lyrics and artwork are a defining feature of this genre rather than an occasional accident — which of violence, gore or sex depends on the band. Worth knowing before you put it on in a room with other people in it.

Start here

Three records in order of how easy they are to get into — which is not the same as best first.

  1. Board Up the House Genghis Tron, 2008

    The way in, and barely grindcore at all in places — synthesiser passages that sound like an ambient record, interrupted without warning. The most listenable thing this genre produced.

    Listen to Board Up the House

  2. Savage Sinusoid Igorrr, 2017

    French, and completely deranged: baroque harpsichord, breakcore, operatic singing and blast beats, arranged with obvious classical training. Funny and genuinely accomplished.

    Listen to Savage Sinusoid

  3. Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope Agoraphobic Nosebleed, 2002 The landmark

    The genre's defining record and by no means its entrance — a programmed drum machine set past any human tempo, across dozens of tracks most of which are under a minute. Placed last, and even then it is a lot.

    Listen to Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope

What it sounds like

Grindcore handed to a machine. Drums are programmed at tempos no human arm could sustain, guitars are chopped into digital fragments, and samples, glitches and harsh electronics fill whatever space is left. Vocals are shrieked and usually processed. Songs can be seconds long and albums can hold sixty of them. Nothing is melodic and nothing is comfortable. Compared with grindcore, whose sloppiness is part of its humanity, this is deliberately inhuman — the inability to play it live is a feature. It is a genuinely small corner of the map, much of it self-released and short-lived, and its best records are as much noise music as metal.

  • Heaviness 4 out of 5
  • Speed 5 out of 5
  • Aggression 5 out of 5
  • Technicality 3 out of 5
  • Darkness 3 out of 5
  • Melody 1 out of 5

Where the name came from

A portmanteau of 'cyber' and 'grindcore,' coined as bands began incorporating programmed drums and electronic samples into grindcore's template in the late 1990s. Agoraphobic Nosebleed are the genre's defining act. Also referred to as 'digital grindcore' in some metal communities.

The bands

Hear these first

  • Agoraphobic Nosebleed USA
  • Genghis Tron USA
  • Igorrr France
  • The Berzerker Australia
  • The Locust USA

And 5 more

  • Gigantic Brain USA
  • See You Next Tuesday USA
  • Mincing Fury Czechia
  • Xanopticon USA
  • Sewer Goddess USA

If you liked this

Closest in sound outside this family, leaning towards the similar or the gentler rather than straight into the deep end.