Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire

It takes extraordinary finesse to put a new spin on grindcore, to say nothing of keeping it interesting for an entire album. How exciting, then, that local grind powerhouse Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire manages to accomplish both in one fell, shrieking swoop on its second album...

By Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

July 31, 2008

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It takes extraordinary finesse to put a new spin on grindcore, to say nothing of keeping it interesting for an entire album. How exciting, then, that local grind powerhouse Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire manages to accomplish both in one fell, shrieking swoop on its second album. With a rare balance of ingenuity and tastefulness, the group skillfully uses rhythmic variation to show that the phrase "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing" applies in extreme metal, too. Like-minded bands usually emphasize mind-bending complexity and heavier-than-the-next-guy harshness, but these ten songs turn and dip to give a sense of truly going somewhere over the course of the album. Omega clearly establishes Clinging to the Trees as one of the most captivating new voices in the genre.

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