[Cover artwork by Stiv]
Life is a grind – survival is a never-ending struggle; uphill both ways, our all-too-brief march toward the finality of death. And in that briefness, life is grind, as well – it’s a burst of screaming and chaos that’s over before we want it to be, often before we really had time to understand it at all.
And to the latter point, I present Suffering Quota, which, in its name alone, is another metaphor for modern life. These grinding Dutchmen have been around for fifteen years now, with Sisyphean Life being their fourth full-length, not too far removed from 2023’s quite enjoyable bashing, Collide. Based on the myth of Sisyphus, and fueled by the frustrations and futility of everyday existence in these trying times, Sisyphean Life builds upon the same framework as earlier Suffering Quotas – relentless blastbeats, Gerald Timmermans’ alternating shrieks and bellows (with more emphasis on the former), René Beukers’ angular and chaotic riffing – but adds an even deeper layer of oppressive sonics and pounding repetition, mimicking the titular character’s torment in its bursts of dizzying fury interspersed with fleeting seconds of release. “Overpowering Weight” demonstrates by opening ferociously, and dragging itself to a trudging close; “Slope” follows a similar path, pounding itself to a close at a powerviolence pace. “Change Course” offers a rare and short moment of respite before the pounding begins anew; “Torment” rages with a swinging, hardcore energy.
By the band’s own admission, the album “pursues density and repetition, allowing volume and heaviness to drain the air from the room,” and that may be its greatest strength and its only real flaw, albeit a minor one, especially considering that this is, after all, a grindcore album. It’s definitely oppressive, unrelenting, a maelstrom, but in being all of that, Sisyphean Life does require some repeated listens to unravel, to get past the sheer momentum and the reliance upon repetition of tempo, riff, and overall feel to get its point across, even if the point itself is largely one of life’s endless circular track. Still, it’s an effective attack, especially once some dedicated listening allows the band’s craft to unfold beneath their more immediately distinctive rage.
Wake up, go to work, do what you can to survive, find whatever peace and beauty you can amongst the rubble of our modern lives. Most all of us are pushing rocks until we’re pushing daisies, kids – enjoy it as best you can while you can, and when you’re pissed off, when your rocks get too heavy, pick up some energy and blow off some steam with your favorite loud-fast-ugly music. Suffering Quota certainly fits that bill, and Sisyphean Life is another strong outing.
