Search - Meathook Seed :: Embedded

Sea of Tranquility

Patrick Stott | Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand | 07/29/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Side projects are a bit of a mystery sometimes. It is understandable musicians may want a break from their main gig, and have the chance to create something different. Mike Patton and Jello Biafra for example have turned their hands to a number of projects over a wide range of musical styles. What is harder to understand though, from the perspective of someone not actually in the band, is why a band member would want to do something not far removed from their usual band's sound. Mitch Harris' impressive side project is within spitting distance of grind legends Napalm Death.Meathook Seed's sound on 'Embedded' could best be described as a cross between Napalm Death and Godflesh (anyone with Attention Deficit Disorder can stop reading now because this is the most important point of the review). Think of half paced Napalm Death with a few heavy-duty industrial rhythms thrown in, or a faster Godflesh with more vocal variety and a real drummer thrown in from time to time.The sound is huge, and it's not surprising. Harris' partners in noise were Donald Tardy and Trevor Peres from Obituary. The noise produced is tremendous, equal parts mountainous Death Metal and sludgy Grind. Overlaying the carefully calculated racket are tormented vocals, sometimes a shade Barney Greenway, other times Justin Broadrick. The songs really do little to distinguish themselves from one another. That's not to say they all sound the same, but are of an equal standard, with none of the tracks noticeably better or more memorable than the others.Closer "Sea Of Tranquillity" is the only real departure from the formula of rest of the album. It is a dark ambient/trance piece, incorporating celestial choirs, Gregorian chants, sampled drums, drones and other electronic wizardry.'Embedded' is by no means essential or original. It is a powerful release, and most fans of Napalm Death and Godflesh would not think it out of place in their collections. However, they might not revisit it too often."

Interesting side project...

Patrick Stott | 07/17/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As formed by members of Obituary and Napalm Death, Meathook Seed's first cd offers up an interesting, if unadventurous debut. Trevor Peres and Donald Tardy, Obituary's guitarist and drummer respectively, join forces with Napalm Death guitarist Mitch Harris in creating some deathly industrial/electronica soundscapes. Most of the songs sound like a mix of (what else?) Napalm Death and "Streetcleaner" era Godflesh, with a dose of hardcore riffing for attitude and a healthy dose of drum programs and electronic vocal distortions. Opening cut, "Famine Sector", is by far the best song on the disc; angry, aggressive and driving. The rest of the album angrily grooves along, with varying degrees of success. After awhile though, the songs start sounding samey, which is a given in this genre of music. Given the lack of diversity on the disc, it could quickly become tiring and well, downright boring if you aren't a dedicated fan of this type of aggro-industrialized death. Despite its' short comings though, Meathook Seed's debut is worth owning, simply because it dares to be a bit different and not the same old death metal, especially with its' closing cut; a 13 minute wave of electronica, filled with landscapes of sounds and driven by a drum program/machine. Lots of experimentation and if you close your eyes, you can probably picture yourself in a distant land of sound (provided you use your headphones). In all, a decent debut. The band apparantly have a follow-up disc out. I for one, will be looking to obtain it."

Conceptual masterpiece from Grindcore/Death era

J. H. Infante | Guadalajara, Ja, Mex | 08/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Trevor Peres, Donald Tardy and Mitch Harris from Obituary and Napalm Death created this atmospheric, industrial , electronic, progressive and heavy masterpiece full of grey scenarios, relaxing environments and then loud explosions and raw guitars , they can be described like the Cocteau Twins of metal for moments , even in the exeptional artwork , Embedded is a genuine Oddity into Earaches catalog and hard to get in this days, im proud i own my copy
HM"