Review by Carl on August 20, 2023.

I primarily know this lot from their excellent North Of Nowhere ... LP, where they play a form of old school death metal mixed with a copious dose of crust, kinda like Master meets Axegrinder meets Celtic Frost. But way before that, there was this EP, and the style here is quite different from what was on the LP. Keep reading if you want to know more.

There are a couple of obvious signs that kinda give away what this is going to sound like. The band name taken from a Napalm Death song is one, but the second and most obvious clue is the fact that we are treated to 18 tracks under 13 minutes, that has grindcore written all over.

Napalm Death (and especially their "Scum" and "From Enslavement ..." albums) are a very obvious influence, but Rot (BRA) and Agathocles have also left some serious marks on the sound of the band. There are a lot of blast beats and simple but raging fast guitar riffing, all poured into short songs that sometimes last mere seconds. The gruff growling alternating with the insane screams are another staple of the genre, and in addition of those already mentioned, this approach also has me thinking of bands like Disrupt, Infest (US) and Extreme Noise Terror. The execution is maniacally energetic and hectic, and in its totality it simply oozes aggression everywhere. This is pure old school grindcore with a slight crust edge to it, and dammit, does this go in smooth!

Production-wise it is, as is to expect, all on the raw side. There is not a lot of bass present in the mix, the drums sound slightly on the thin side, and the guitars are bordering on white noise, with the vocals being what primarily keeps the music together. If you read this, you could think that this sounds horrible, but even if the production is on the raw side, this thing still emanates underground charm and you can feel the frenetic energy radiating from the music. After all, this is grindcore, not Beyoncé's new single, it is meant to sound uncivilized.

Although I prefer their debut full length, this little gem of underground delight manages to push all the right buttons in my household. It's fast, aggressive and a totally bonkers exercise in grinding insanity. All into those grind bands mentioned above, and old school grindcore in general, sink your teeth into this one!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Carl on August 20, 2023.

I primarily know this lot from their excellent North Of Nowhere ... LP, where they play a form of old school death metal mixed with a copious dose of crust, kinda like Master meets Axegrinder meets Celtic Frost. But way before that, there was this EP, and the style here is quite different from what was on the LP. Keep reading if you want to know more.

There are a couple of obvious signs that kinda give away what this is going to sound like. The band name taken from a Napalm Death song is one, but the second and most obvious clue is the fact that we are treated to 18 tracks under 13 minutes, that has grindcore written all over.

Napalm Death (and especially their "Scum" and "From Enslavement ..." albums) are a very obvious influence, but Rot (BRA) and Agathocles have also left some serious marks on the sound of the band. There are a lot of blast beats and simple but raging fast guitar riffing, all poured into short songs that sometimes last mere seconds. The gruff growling alternating with the insane screams are another staple of the genre, and in addition of those already mentioned, this approach also has me thinking of bands like Disrupt, Infest (US) and Extreme Noise Terror. The execution is maniacally energetic and hectic, and in its totality it simply oozes aggression everywhere. This is pure old school grindcore with a slight crust edge to it, and dammit, does this go in smooth!

Production-wise it is, as is to expect, all on the raw side. There is not a lot of bass present in the mix, the drums sound slightly on the thin side, and the guitars are bordering on white noise, with the vocals being what primarily keeps the music together. If you read this, you could think that this sounds horrible, but even if the production is on the raw side, this thing still emanates underground charm and you can feel the frenetic energy radiating from the music. After all, this is grindcore, not Beyoncé's new single, it is meant to sound uncivilized.

Although I prefer their debut full length, this little gem of underground delight manages to push all the right buttons in my household. It's fast, aggressive and a totally bonkers exercise in grinding insanity. All into those grind bands mentioned above, and old school grindcore in general, sink your teeth into this one!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 23, 2020.

Making a 'Fast And Filthy' entry with their debut EP Under Siege, Swedish speed metal band Tøronto fire on all cylinders with alcohol and riffs at the steering-wheel. Playing like they're just passing through town on their way to the big-leagues, the band gives us 8 racing tracks of tire-burning speed and vivacity.

A complete consumption of nitro and gasoline, 'Fast And Filthy' bursts from the starting line with a punkish spring before shifting gears into a blazing worship of Motorhead. However, Tøronto also flaunt their own colors in the guitar department that act as the main voice of the tunes given the catchy and memorable riffing. 'Fast And Filthy' plays like a declaration of war on the metal underground with thunderous riffs shaping the outlook of the album following the traditional heavy metal bridge. From there the speed relaxes a bit, taking sort of back seat on 'Fire in Sight' but does not let up on the top-tier guitar soloing.

Apart from the raspy and roughneck vocals, the guitars occupy the spotlight as well with a damn near perfect showing taking place on every track of Under Siege. Both lead work and the soloing is worth mention, perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the album and most critical simultaneously. If your riffs fail then your album will too eventually; but Tøronto ensure that in addition the the adrenaline pumping drums, the licks scorch.

'Frontline Bitch' and 'Lights Out at Bedlam' demonstrate the ease in which Tøronto can extract the cores of speed and traditional heavy metal and put them back together in a unified way. This band knows what they're doing and it's conveyed throughout the album. Out on LP and digitally 22nd May 2020 through Dying Victims Productions; play Under Siege in your car when on the highway and I can almost guarantee you'll get a speeding ticket.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10