Der Sturmer/Auschwitz Symphony Orchestra Split: Purchased for the Der Sturmer tracks without having heard ASO, wasn't sure what to expect with them. Starting out with DS, this band just keeps getting better and better with age. Honestly, I can't listen to their old drum machine stuff but everything after and including A Banner... is just perfect. Definitely the more aggressive style in each of the DS songs, Judas Burning and Piles of Pigheads have the whirlwind berzerker riffs I love DS for and the drumming on this split, whoever this drummer is I can only describe his HEAVY HEAVY sounding drums as militant and marching, the drumming in Piles of Pigheads especially makes the DS side of this album stand out. The cover of Eastern Front by thrash legends Flames closes things out and normally I'm not a fan of covers at all but the DS style applied to thrash metal with lyrics about the insanity of the Eastern front, I'm fucking sold. ASO side is industrial/cyber goregrind with maybe slight noisecoreish elements too? Not in the Libido Airbag style, something maybe slightly more closer to Reek of Unzen Gas Fumes except far more straight forward with few songs lasting more then a few minutes and being quick, energetic blasts with a very dirty sounding drum machine and even dirtier/rawer riffing which with the snapping of a neck transitions from slightly Reek of Putrefication style grooves to all out machine gun blasting, and then done. Lyrics typically just the song title, sometimes only screamed once. Worth the purchase for DS alone who are at perhaps their absolute best here as short as their side is, ASO was a pleasant surprise as well, excellent split.
