Rat Lord are in on their own joke. Visit the Norwegian grindcore trio’s Instagram and you’ll find memes about their low monthly streaming numbers and people puking when they listen to them. Their first LP was titled This is Not a Record and their follow-up, which we’re premiering in full ahead of its release tomorrow, is Blazed in the Northern Sky. It’s not uncommon for grindcore acts with tongue-in-cheek demeanors to become vicious once they get their hands on their instruments, but that’s not the case for Rat Lord. They perform with the same “fuck-it” attitude that guided song titles like “North of Heaven” and “Party Like It’s 1349.” While they are intense, it’s intense excitement rather than fury.
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Nomenclature jokes aside, Blazed in the Northern Sky is best thought of as stoner grindcore. It emphasizes groove and hanging out, especially on the two beefier songs “Party Like It’s 1349” and “Blazed in the Northern Sky.” However, even the cuts that barely last longer than a minute, and the few that don’t even reach that mark, are just as affable. “Wo-Tan-Clan” goes from mosh-ready hardcore to blast beats and tremolo picking without getting self-serious. Rat Lord are simply having too much fun to ever overpower their aggression.
The band comments,
“Blazed In The Northern Sky is a wild, irreverent ride that serves as both an ode and a parody of black metal, all wrapped up in a grindcore suit—and yes, it’s packed with cats. Lots and lots of cats. This track is a tongue-in-cheek salute to the genre’s dark aesthetics while embracing the chaotic energy of grindcore. All hail the true rat lord!”
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Blazed in the Northern Sky is available on August 30 via Loyal Blood Records.
