Child Abuse: Cut and Run

Even at first glance it’s probably safe to assume that one stated intention of this band is to make you feel uncomfortable. It’s been a staple of grindcore acts in the past (Cannibal Corpse and Anal Cunt come to mind), but the question always remains whether a band with a name like Child Abuse can back-up their cringe-inducing moniker with similarly abrasive and palpable sound.

In this case the answer is clearly: yes. This six-song EP is not only crammed with shrill, obnoxious guitar riffs, pummeling beats, and cookie monster growls, but offers something more than your run ‘o the mill grindcore redux. The fits and starts and electronic buzzsaw effects are not unlike their labelmates HEALTH, and it lends the paradoxical appeal of being both grotesquely hardcore and liable for a Crystal Castles remix.

Cut and Run is guttural, intense hardcore. After a speed metal riff on “Bebe” and the grating shrill of the title track, all hell breaks loose on “Opportunity Zone” — a full gallop of grotesque speed punk. Child Abuse does not come up for air throughout this 6-song EP, continually assaulting you with sound at every angle. But with a name like theirs, would you expect any less?