A new scene of bands are coming out again from the underground of Seattle that have no resemblance to the grunge movement of yesteryear. Skarp is one of these bands that are taking on the torch of dark, heavy, and fast music. Now having seen this band live a couple of times, I was ready to hear the recorded material. This full length is brutal as it comes. Self-proclaimed pioneers of “Blackout Grind,” grindcore is definitely what they play: strong elements of punk and crust; female vocals that are screamed with blistering venom and guttural to the point of low-end hearing damage. The drummer is incredible with his machine-like precision while he hits a rapid succession of beats at a breakneck pace. The guitars and bass are riff-ridden with a downtuned aura that creates the dark atmosphere. They hit you in the face with power chords that are strong, then take you for the whirlwind ride of your life, riffs and scales flying at your ears like a swarm of bees around your head. Just as good as seeing this band live is hearing their music recorded with good production.
–don (Alternative Tentacles)