Exclusive Track Premiere: Total Fucking Destruction’s “light/pain”
Total Fucking Destruction are totally fucking back, and more totally fucking destructive than ever! The grindcore wrecking crew’s latest offering, …to be alive at the end of the world, is a snapshot of the planet today — and that snapshot is simultaneously invigorating and terrifying. The cover art (above) may initially remind fans of a certain Beatles album; but listening to the music it contains, it ends up feeling much more like a perfect encapsulation of the nihilism which currently threatens us all. Like all the best grindcore, …to be alive at the end of the world offers more than just an excuse to mosh your brains out (although it certainly does have that in spades): it subverts expectations and asks you to question the very concepts of art, music, and dogmatic devotion to societal doctrines (it concludes with the most fucked up version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” you’ve ever heard). It is, without a doubt, one of the most relevant releases of 2020.
Needless to say, MetalSucks jumped at the chance to debut “light/pain,” one of …to be alive at the end of the world‘s most vicious tracks. The paradoxical contrast in its title and lyrics (“Light is power! Light is pain!”) is demonstrative of the album as a whole, and the music will absolutely light your hair on fire and shred your skin to bits.
Says vocalist/drummer Richard Hoak (Brutal Truth) of the album and track:
“‘…to be alive at the end of the world’ is a message of energy and strength for everyone living crazy fucked up daily life in this worldwide geo-political military-entertainment-technology complex. Total Fucking Destruction is an end-of-the-world party and you are all invited!
“‘light/pain’ is a story of truths ignored as a result of stupidity and hubris with a disastrous result: knowledge is power but the truth of the current state of the planet is brutal. Powerful corrupt technologies and people make hiding in the darkness too easy.”
Adds guitarist Pingdum:
“Once you see that light, once you become aware of those truths, you are then rewarded with the pain beyond measure of understanding reality. You wake, your brain bakes.
“The song is not just a blasting 6/4, 5/4 alternating time signature based on a diminished 5th. It is a splattering of extreme grind on the canvas of the slow motion apocalypse. It is our small voice added to the violently needed and hopefully upcoming mass protest.”
Listen to “light/pain” below. …to be alive at the end of the world comes out April 24 on Translation Loss. Pre-order it here!!!
