Band : Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire
Album title : Songs Of Ill Hope And Desperation
Label : Prosthetic
Distributor : Bertus
Release date : 08/06/2010
Release : CD

There's some controversial info coming to me about this down-tempo Grindcore band from Denver, Colorado. First, according to the label's biography, the band formed in 2006, but a MySpace page to the same name (in use by the band today) was already erected in July 2005. Secondly, the current line-up is somewhat unclear, and I can only conclude that it went through some change since website spirit-of-metal.com posted it as being Lee (vocals), Ben (guitar), Zach (bass), and J.P. (drums). You see, on metalarchives.com the line-up is mentioned to still consist of Zach and J.P., but in stead of the two others there's now one Ethan McCarthy (on both guitar and vocals), and the latter IS mentioned in the label bio!

Things we know for sure: in 2006 the band released an EP titled Harmonies From Bleeding Mouths, which they followed up with the 2008 full-length Omega Drunk On Alpha Blood (they really seem to have something for long titles, don't they?), which was released through small label Debello Recordings (which has since handed in its bankrupcy papers). During the past 2 ½ years, the band's been touring throughout the US, and in 2009 they signed to Prosthetic. They soon enough found themselves in the Flatline Audio studio with Dave Otero (known from previously having worked with the likes of Cephalic Carnage, Catheter, and Cobalt – what's that noise in the background...oh, you're already drooling?), and the results of those sessions were presented to the general public early this Summer (sorry if we didn't catch up with the release earlier, but there IS a lot coming out these days, and what with all labels reverting to iPool for their promotions these days, the Concrete Web HQ is somewhat cramped for time in downloading everything before sending it out to its reviewers).

Anyway, back to CTTTOAFF (which sóme reviewers have already dubbed "a shitty name"...personally, I feel it's a gréat name, with a nice touch of cynical controvery in it too) and their music. "Down-tempo Grindcore"? Yeah well, the music's also been named "Funeral Grind", because generally it's too slow to be called Grindcore right-out, and on the other side it's also too fast to be named Doom! Ach, what's in a name, eh? At any rate, the band has been compared to the likes of Brutal Truth (check!), Pig Destroyer (uh...okay, check!), Discordance Axis (yeah, I can see that...the same feeling for tempo changes and combination of the slow heavieness against the grinding faster parts...singer doesn't quite screach with that typical high scream as DA's though – he even goes deep occasionally - but sure, check! Double check even!!), EyeHateGod (I'm afraid I never came across this band...I've heard nothing but good from people that have, though), and Napalm Death (oh yeah...that's definitely a good name to drop when you're into Grindcore, eh? So, check!)! Now when listening to the album I was pleased to find out it almost has itself heard as a whole, without any interruptions between tracks (which ain't quite true, of course, and simply a personal feeling about the material), which can vary in length from only 48 seconds (the short-to-the-point and fast "Empty") to a staggering 6:20 (the wacky and and occasionally truly slów album closing "Remove The Light", which has sounds of a baby crying in the background throughout, as well as some mystherious whispering). In all, there's 13 tracks for a total of...oh, can't tell you that for sure, because we have a track missing on our download, but the 12 we have are just over 30 minutes...which ain't bad at all, for a "Grindcore" release.

Right, if you were one of those making those drooling sounds just there, you'll wanna listen to a couple of the band's songs at myspace.com/clingingtothetreesofaforestfire. Hey, don't you just lóve that bandname too? I mean, reviewers bugging about the length (or content) of it just aren't into Grindcore, I guess! But I AM, let's make that perfectly clear, and in the genre, CTTTOAFF are tops, as far as I'm concerned!!!

98/100

Tony.