Violet vinyl! Kerrang! described ESCUELA GRIND as “unbelievably hostile.” The band named an early EP PPOOWWEERRVVIIOOLLEENNCCEE and another one GGRRIINNDDCCOORREE. Yet somewhere beneath the punishing blast beats, ferocious guttural growls, and noise worship lurks a gooey center of resilience and even, dare we say, hope. See, ESCUELA GRIND is all about intersectional progressive revolution, inclusivity, and good vibes… Delivered via captivating carnage. Memory Theater, their sophomore album, recorded with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou (American Nightmare, Genghis Tron, 108), is seven minutes shorter than Slayer's Reign in Blood, but with a few songs running past the three-minute mark, it's downright epic by grindcore norms. Delivering on the promise of several split records, a handful of EPs (including the aforementioned), and 2020's full-length, Indoctrination, the nine songs offer a near-psychedelic trip to the genre's soul. The music might be terrifying, but the overwhelming spirit behind ESCUELA GRIND is a message of empowerment. As they destroy musical boundaries, the quartet attacks the idea of “gatekeeping” with equal ferocity. In fact, they already serve as a gateway drug to newcomers, fighting against the too-oft snobbery inherent in extreme counterculture as they gleefully deliver their brutal death grind.
