Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 11:13 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
When you see or hear the name Lock Up immediately your mind travels to 1999 and their glorious debut record, from the kind of a super group grindcore side project with the moniker Lockup, that was formed by the bassist Shane Embury along with his colleague in Napalm Death, Jesse Pintado (he died in 27.08.2006), featuring the drummer Nick Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Old Man’s Child, Dimmu Borgir), that blew the mind of a whole damn generation, “Pleasures Pave Sewers”. Of course there is always rooms for Stalone die-hards that will remember his action-movie with the same name from 1989…
Because all the members were very busy with all their main bands, there was no Lock Up tour possible. There was only one very successful gig at the famous Wacken Open Air back in 2000 with an awesome performance. 20,000 people went crazy, and they were surprised, because Peter Tägtgren was not playing with the band. He was busy with Hypocrisy and Pain. His replacement was none other than Tomas “Tompa” Lindberg, the legendary ex-At The Gates frontman. After this show, he became a permanent member of Lock Up.
Still and despite the fact that I understand why everyone, including me, consider “Pleasures Pave Sewers” as an iconic classic now, my favorite album from Lock Up must be 2002’s sophomore full length release, entitled “Hate Breeds Suffering”. I guess the singer’s change from Tägtgren to Tomas Lindberg is the main reason for that, even though Tägtgren was brilliant in his duties, as “Tompa” has one of the sickest throats on Earth.
In February 2000, Lock Up entered the Framework Studio in Birmingham, England to record their second album. Produced by Russ Russels and engineered by none other than Napalm Death guitarist Mitch Harris.
The album continues from where their debut stopped. Old – school grind with catchy tunes and solid rhythm section, no melody – no hooks. You can’t expect slow tempos or slow parts here (only ‘Detestation which is a highlight, starts slow before Lindberg shouts like a maniac and some mid paced intervals here and there are present in the album) after all Lock Up is a music term: a death metal drumming technique in which the arms are stiffened or “locked up” to produce lightning-fast blast beats; so only ferocity and high speed is allowed here. The absence of variety there isn’t a problem as your neck is breaking and Pintado’s riffs hit you like coming from a machine gun. The guitar work is excellent and it sounds interesting and not a bit monotonous or generic. Embury’s Bass is thick and vigorously audible, but gives also extra space to Clive Barker’s drumming to shine. Barker besides the ultra-violent blast beats delivers a bunch of awesome fills and twisted kick downs.
Sixteen songs later you’ll thank your local vinyl store or the e-shop you have bought it. All those who already own it, you know better and declare how strong “Hate Breeds Suffering” is. From the blasting opener “Feeding on the Opiate”, through “Castrate the Wreckage“, “Violent Reprisal”, “Dead Seas Scroll Deception”, “High Tide in a Sea of Blood”, “The Jesus Virus”, “Cascade Leviathan” and of course “Detestation” to “The Sixth Extinction”, all these songs are showing confidence and determination for your assertion.
