RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER – Ghostmaker
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 17-06-2012
This four piece Pennsylvania thrash band leave nothing back in the adrenaline fueled attack for this 12 song album “Ghostmaker”. Their style has that old school thrash factor a la Exodus or Sacred Reich, and yet the vocal approach is much more forceful and almost death metal meets black metal in terms of the screams and phrasing. Rumpelstiltskin Grinder is at their best when spewing forth galloping, fast paced riffs from Matt Moore and Ryan Moll and the rhythm section of bassist Shawn Riley and drummer Pat Battaglia capably keep up with the proceedings- from “Those Who Are Unseen” to the triplet fest of “You’ve Been Had”, the mechanized feel just pulsates persistently throughout the body.
Even when the band slows things down at times for “Get Out Of My Grave/ Gigantic Graveyard” (especially the intro and concluding riff parts), you know that there’s no diverting from their underground philosophy- it’s all about the aggressive translation into the roots of thrash. I can see those on the extreme music fringes loving “Ghostmaker”- it’s not all locked into one monotonous riff or tempo, and the songwriting has designs for easy studio to stage liftoff. Not for the meek, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder on their third album haven’t lost any tenacity to keep their eyes on their identity- and the fans will be rewarded with another must buy release.