Primarily the side project of Mitch Harris,
Meathook Seed finds the
Napalm Death guitarist exploring the many possibilities of grindcore songwriting without following any sort of precedent or sticking to any generic template. Many of the songs sound vastly different from one another in terms of both tempo and structuring. For the most part, the songs race at the speedy pace one would expect from a talented guitarist honed on grindcore, yet Harris makes his songs interesting by adjusting the tempo at key moments within each song, creating brief lulls that truly grind without relying on speed. His song structuring also proves noteworthy relative to most bands in the grindcore and death metal scene. Sure, some of these songs use verses and choruses, but one must keep in mind that Harris is a remarkable guitarist. He makes the most of his talent on songs such as "Forgive" when he breaks away from structure and heads off on adventurous tangents of swirling guitar riffs that take the song in new directions without having to resort to the ultimate guitarist cliche: the tiresome, masturbatory guitar solo. Though Harris carries the weight of this album as the guitarist, bassist, and backing vocalist, one must also recognize the contributions of Obituary members Donald Tardy and Trevor Peres who handle the drums and vocals, respectively. Peres, in particular, sounds surprisingly strong with his venomous, evil vocals for a guitarist. Even though this daring album may have only been a one-off side project for the trio, it sounds just as impressive as anything the three released with
Napalm Death and Obituary in the '90s. ~ Jason Birchmeier