Coming as an uncopromising, blistering assault of powerviolent heavy grindcore, the newest split from Stockholm based BLEACHDRINKER and Seatlle’s NURSER isn’t something to be overlooked. Both bands manage to switch things up by incorporating more variety to their murderous sonic foundation, which overwhlems the lsitener instantly. We caught up with both bands to discuss their suffocating, oppressive new release, get some more details about their violent projects, and find out which of this year’s releases caught them attention the most.
The Bleachdrinker / Nurser split is available on Cassette/CD in America via Modern Grievance. On Cassette in EU via Monument / Negative Aggression, and soon on vinyl worldwide via Flyktsoda / Monument / Nihilocus / Modern Grievance.
“This is our second studio release and a lot has happened since our first EP.” – comments BLEACHDRINKER (Simone – Vocals, Jonas – Guitar, Jacob – Bass, Erik – Drums)
Asked about what graviated them towards this particular release, they continue: “Our old drummer left the band due to moving to the dark north of Sweden, so we stood without a drummer for a long time. But then Nurser reached out to us about doing a split. That was an offer we couldn’t refuse. So we called Jon (Lindqvist), who has been recording our stuff, and he put us in touch with his old drummer from Nasum, Anders Jakobson. So he did all the drums on this one, which we are super happy about. Since then we’ve found a standing drummer for the band, Erik.”
Bleachdrinker’s lyrical themes on this EP are mostly about personal struggles.
“I (Simone) am a trans woman in the middle of the progress, and at the same time struggling a lot with heavy depression. So I try to write a lot of the lyrics so they can be interpreted both as war and sort of a ”war against yourself”. And then we have the occational songs about nazi scums. I wrote all the lyrics in the studio while we recorded, and I was piss wasted. For this release we also included a cover of ”Kungen är nazist”, by the amazing swedish D-Beat band Diskonto (RIP Steffe).”
The NURSER tracks for this split were written in December 2021.
“Most of the lyrics in our songs express our disdain for the societal structure we live in and the capitalist tyrants who run the world.” – comments the band.
“These songs also deal with the depression and nihilism that results from this basic existence.”
Asked about their local heavy music scenes, both bands gave us their quick insights and a bunch of other bands recommendations.
“As far as our scene here in the NW, a lot of bands have emerged from the pandemic era- including ourselves.” – comments NURSER. “We’re happy to see and play shows with diverse bills and there are great bands performing all kinds of music up here.”
NURSER’s Best Seattle Bands Worth A Check!
Izthmi does intricate and challenging melodic black metal.
If you like grind, check out Disease, Tax Evader and Impulse Noise.
Our labelmates in, City of Industry and Void Dancer, churn out intense hardcore and melodeath.
Rat King, Reburied and Hissing are some of our favorite Seattle death metal bands.
WeepWave is a great psychedelic rock band.
Open Veins, Tremens and Filth is Eternal play killer Seattle D-beat.
Seken is a one man project writing super heavy math-sludge.
Across the water, our Bremerton comrades Worth Nothing play something they’re calling grooveviolence.
Melancholia plays heavy, hypnotic blackened sludge up in Bellingham.
There’s lots to choose from in Seattle and the surrounding region and folks should also dig into bands like, Deconsecration out of nearby Tacoma And Mortiferum from Olympia.
Into Oregon (shout out Rank and Vile, Tithe, Magdalene, Dripping Decay, Worms, Blacktracks, Foes, and on and on).
As far as Seattle labels, we have to rep Modern Grievance who released our full length and this upcoming Bleachdrinker split. Clint, who runs the show over there, is a sweet human and an absolute lifer. Satanik Royalty is another young label releasing extreme music out of Seattle.
Swedish acts worth a good listen – by BLEACHDRINKER
There’s a lot of cool extreme bands in Sweden right now. Xiao, Massgrav, Gadget, Fox Womb, Prescriptiondeath, This Gift Is A Curse, God Mother, etc etc.
There’s also this scene of old school 90’s inspired hardcore bands gaining ground, like Speedway, Sidestep, Feels Like Heaven and a bunch more. There’s like a youth crew sxe comeback with a new wave of kids writing big X’s on their hands. It’s kinda rad.
In terms of Swedish labels, I always find it more interesting when it’s more DIY than corporate. So make sure to check our labels: Monument Records, Flyktsoda Records and Nihilocus Records (that one is Italy based though). Also, Negative Agression Tapes is releasing this split on cassette.
Best albums of 2022, by BLEACHDRINKER:
Simone: Fleshwater – We’re not here to be loved
Jonas: Congo Natty – Nu Jungle vol. 1
Jacob: Warthog – S/T
Erik: Sequestrum – Epitome of putridity
Best albums of 2022, by NURSER:
VERMINWOMB – Retaliation
KNOLL – Metempiric (see our special feature on this album HERE)
HISSING – Hypervirulence Architecture
CLOUD RAT – Threshold
MIZMOR & THOU – Myopia
UNYIELDING LOVE – Flesh of the Furnace
INNUMERABLE FORMS – Philosophical Collapse