Where They From? New Jersey. Not a specific town, and not a specific area, just New Jersey. I would try to add some clever facts or knowledge about the garden state, but I feel like we already have our own opinions about this place, so I’ll just move on.
What do they sound like? Like four men from New Jersey came together to form a grindcore band named after a stinky piece of fruit.
Why the hype? First and foremost, I would like to wish Durian’s drummer, Ben Wood, a happy birthday. He recently turned 47 and celebrated by getting his ass totally kicked by me in fantasy football this past weekend.
Wood and bassist John Burton previously played together in Chainsaw to the Face, who I first discovered off the Relapse Records compilation This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 1, way back when in 2009. CTTF stood out even on a record also featuring such heavyweights as Insect Warfare and Maruta. Their music was just so jarringly arrhythmic and abrasive that I just couldn’t help but instantly become a fan.
John and Ben have continued this punishing brand of grind/violence through Durian but have added just a little bit of zaniness and humor to make something truly absurd and somehow more true to the grindcore ethos than most of their contemporaries. Which brings us to their latest album…
Latest Release: Everything Faster Than Everything Else. Fuck yeah, this is what grindcore is all about! I noticed Durian had started playing shorter and shorter songs in their live sets and was pleased to see that they stuck with this formula in the studio. Eight songs in two minutes, what’s not to love? But these aren’t your typical, run-of-the-mill microsongs, this release really exemplifies Durian’s greatest strengths: punk melodies, unique bass presence and and stupid-fast drumming.
Favorite Song: “Hospital Bills.” I literally listened to this album four times in a row while writing this article.
Find Durian on Bandcamp.
