Review by Greg on July 8, 2023.

An emerging thrash metal act from the cold lands of Norway, Corroder is starting to build its career demo by demo since their birth in 2019. It's safe to say that the artwork of their latest EP Both Feet In The Grave was an eye-catcher for me, as I would approach literally anything with a somewhat Coroner-styled black strip on top, but the words 'Norway' and 'thrash metal' really should give you enough hints about the intricacy of the compositions here (read: none). Corroder, indeed, play venomous thrash metal perfectly in line with the national (especially Kolbotn) blueprint, with a slightly reduced black metal influence if compared to your usual Condor or Aura Noir disciples.

Nekromantheon might be a good starting place for comparisons, although the here examined band, albeit hosting rather seasoned musicians, is still at an early stage in terms of songwriting. The 14 minutes of Both Feet In The Grave, in fact, avoid any possible thing that might be defined as 'slightly elaborate'. Corroder's aim is simply to hurt you, repeatedly and mercilessly, while occasionally reminding you of Germany in the process. And if the only song that dares to venture past the 3:00 mark ('Hangman') is also the only one feeling somewhat dragging, mainly because of its slow, but uninspired bridge, all the other tracks cut every possible ounce of fat and speed by in a blur – a deafening blur, for sure – and the closer 'The Torture Chamber' is the easy highlight, with its more extensive use of blast beats.

It's simply hard to write off a release like Both Feet In The Grave, and surely you'll never catch me doing so. For now, Corroder might lack that 'something' that made the giants what they are, but if your strict diet includes bestial Teutonic-esque thrash metal, you know where to look at.

Rating: 7 out of 10