The End
Within Dividia (Relapse) Canadian grindcore band the End is teetering on the edge of two genres. That is if grindcore and death metal are considered different. Within Dividia has a bit of both in its grasp. The intricate beats of the former mix with demonic vocals of the latter to create something both repulsive and intriguing. The End’s first full-length, Dividia, relates the story of a cursed estate in true Ringu fashion – including fantastically disturbing cover art and design. The major downfall of the End is a subjective one. Whereas other Relapse bands like Mastodon have found a perfect balance in metal, the End is only accessible to those with a weak spot for death metal. This is negative not because death metal is intrinsically bad, but because the inability of some to bear the vocals on this album only reduces the possibility of many hearing the astounding technical guitar work of Steve Watson and Andrew Hercules, and the awe-inspiring drumming of Anthony Salajko. Only on “The Sense of Reverence” are these talents blatant, and only because Aaron Wolff’s vocals aren’t present. After adjusting to the vocals on Dividia, it’s easy to place Salajko in the same category as Tool’s monster Danny Carey, one of the best drummers of this generation. Stringing together demanding riffs and unflinching time changes, Salajko, Watson, and Hercules have created a killer first album. (Thursday, March 18, 9pm @ Emo’s Annex)
This article appears in March 19 • 2004.