Solmania


Corrupted(+Solmania) / Sloth Split (7") 2000 None
Except for the fact that the total length of this 7" is just under 8 minutes (while the average is 11-12 minutes), this is probably one of the best sludge/doom splits I've encountered. All three bands use their talents to the max here. It doesn't get any better than that.

Corrupted find themselves working together with a rather unknown japanese noise band called Solmania. In addition to being just about the best track ever put out by Corrupted, it gets no less impressive when you find out that the track is actually recorded live. This is because the quality of the sound is really high (allthough that might be a contradiction to a noise band).

The intensity of 'Inactivo' (translated: "Inactive") is is far greater than on any of Corrupted's earlier songs. In fact the intensity of the noise almost makes the track leave the doom metal realm. The slightly insane aura just makes the experience all the sweeter. Truly a treat for extreme music fans.

Sloth re-released their track on their only full length, 'Division 1 State Champs', which came out the year after the release of this split. But that's not a negative thing. This split is so rare anyways and the track so good that everyone should hear it. It's got the low tuned and menacing sound which I love about Sloth. Not to mention their usual straightforward humor. As for the lyrical content, don't you think the trackname speaks for itself?

Fans of both bands should be looking for this one. Of course it won't be easy to find, but it is without doubt worth it.
Corrupted & Solmania:
1. Inactivo (live with Solmania)

Sloth:
2. Most Of The Bands I Like Either Broke Up Or Now Suck

Approx. 8 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Corrupted(+Solmania) / Meat Slave Split (7") 2000 HG Fact
Meat Slave, or Niku Rodei as they are called in Japanese, has to be one of the toughest bands to review that I've encountered thus far. Well, at least that is the case on this release and I can't say I've heard any of their other works. This is due to the fact that they play noise almost as pure as you get it. The drummer holds a grindcore pace on the drums, but most of the time you can't really hear him. The vocals reminds me somewhat of Zaraza, but mostly the vocalist is just as absent in the noise as the drummer. There is the question whether this is good or not, but honestly - it's just noise. It's basically like asking whether the sound of a carhorn is good music or not.

During the approximately 6 minutes that they play, they manage to pump out 9 tracks. If any of them actually pass a minute, I'm not sure. They are all taken from a live recording from a gig in Koenji GEAR, February 9th, 1994. There is absolutely no way to really tell where one track stops and another begins. The noise stays pretty much the same all the way.

Apparently these guys are singing about some really nasty stuff at times and the most perverted tracks are those with Japanese names. They were originally written in the Japanese alphabet (Kanji). Since most of us cannot read that, I'll translate it here: 'ゾンデ挿入' (Zonde Sounyuu) = "sonde insertion", '体液排出による興奮' (Taieki Haishutsu Niyoru Koufun) = "body fluids discharging because of arousal", and '精液まみれの女性器' (Seieki Mamire No Josei Ki) = "semen covers the girls cunt".

Corrupted presents a live collaboration track from the same concert as the one on the 'Corrupted(+Solmania)/Sloth Split', which was released the same year. It's basically a noisy version of the track 'Anciano' which originally appeared as the title track on the debut release of Corrupted. The recording doesn't have good quality, but it's otherwise ok. I think most would still prefer the original version.

This is just a promo so you won't be able to buy this from the label. You might be lucky and find someone selling it, but that's a long shot. Then again, there is not much interesting here unless you are buying it for the collection's sake.
Album Cover

Meat Slave:
1. ゾンデ挿入 *
2. 体液排出による興奮 *
3. Society Of Janus
4. Sick Of Janus
5. Stick In Vagina
6. Snuff
7. Homophobia
8. 精液まみれの女性器 *
9. Multilation

Corrupted % Solmania:
10. Anciano (Live Version With Solmania)

* the track titles written in the western alphabet:
1. 'Zonde Sonyuu'
2. 'Taieki Haishutsu Niyoru Koufun'
8. 'Seieki Mamire No Josei Ki'

Approx. 12 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen