Cloud Rat’s Second Album: “Fever Dreams”

This is one of the latest releases (“Fever Dreams” by Cloud Rat that is) to be supported by Grindcore Karaoke Records, a label owned by J Randall of Agoraphobic Nosebleed which he uses in hopes to give underground grind bands a bit more attention; since the label is owned by him, it gains a good deal of attention and all the bands featured on the label’s website can be downloaded for free which highlights them even more.

This three piece of grind terrorists are, I believe, from Michigan. I love grind personally, but these days I scarcely find what I would call original music in the genre that also sticks to its roots. Cloud Rat, on the other hand, I find to be very original whilst keeping so far back to their origins that I hear a heavy and obvious power-violence influence in their style; yet they also keep more contemporary sounds from the genre present in their music. In such a wide amount of styles they incorporate into their form of grind, I hear chaotic and atonal riffs that remind me of the rapid low to high tone change in riff schematics that you hear in Brutal Truth, a bit of the sludge (though they don’t seem to tune low and the singer generally tends to speak/shriek in a higher tone) and industrial atmosphere one might hear in Godflesh; the very spastic and unpredictable song structure and multi-tonal chords being grinded that resembles a Discordance Axis influence, as well as, a modern Napalm Death style in the sense of drama they display, yet staying true to the roots of grindcore which is hardcore punk and power-violence. Riffs, beats, and vocals I hear similarities of would be melodic D-beat styled riffs from Swedish bands such as such as Disfear and Wolfbrigade. I even hear the influences of Minor Threat, as well as Dropdead and Siege. Cloud Rat is very much worthy of being called great grind for people who are looking to hear something outside the thirty second skank, shriek, d-beat, blasts, and growls, aimlessly “Sticking It To The Man” by repeating the same styled lyrics we’ve been hearing since the late nineteen-seventies when Crass came out. They seem to give a real poetic take on singing about societies misanthropic troubles.

This album is great! It is actually a collection of their songs that appeared on three split albums. The production of all the songs sound as if they were all done in one session since they were recorded at the same studio, so that means since the songs and the band’s musicianship are as great as they are, you would of taken it like it was one whole album regardless; which that is what it is and was meant to be.

Their first album, which is self-titled, is also a great listen to say the least. “Fever Dreams” and their self-titled debut can be downloaded for free along with many other great grindcore releases on their page. “Fever Dreams” can be downloaded at Grindcore Karaoke, also on this site you find links to sites where more information on the band such as tour dates, information on and where to order the splits these songs were featured on, as well as, the band’s personal e-mail address.