AMG Review of Traitors

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

Already probably the most technically precise subgenre of metal on the planet, how much farther can grindcore be pushed beyond its limit? Well, you can think of Baltimore's Misery Index as sonic scientists -- charting the genre's progress -- on their 2008 release, Traitors. As with most similarly styled groups of the aforementioned genre, there is not a heck of a whole lot of musical variety or variation featured throughout Traitors, as the Misery Index gentlemen keep things as precise, tight, and brutal as possible from start to finish. As a result, you can take your pick of any of the album's tracks ("Theocracy," the title track, etc.), and be prepared for a complete sonic assault. Which brings up an obvious question -- in the wake of Traitors, how much further can Misery Index possibly go musically, before it all implodes?