Reviews list for Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Altered States of America (2003)

I was already very aware of Massachusetts blast-merchants Agoraphobic Nosebleed prior to conducting my cybergrind deep dive this week & they're apparently the most well-known cybergrind artist if online resources are to be believed but this third full-length has left me questioning my understanding of the parameters of the genre to be honest. You see, "Altered States of America" is really just a grindcore record that uses a drum machine & to me that doesn't constitute a new genre. I mean if you didn't know it wasn't a real drummer then what's the difference really? Of course, you DO know it's not a real drummer as no drummer alive could play as fast as these blast-beats.

The album can make for a significant challenge for some listeners (Ben, I'm looking at you) as it includes a full 100 tracks across it's very short 21 minute duration which makes it pretty hard to rate but I have to say that I found myself buying into the band's dark, twisted & satirical social themes & don't pay much attention to the track numbers changing within seconds of each other. This is some seriously brutal grindcore but you can make out every nuance of the riffs very easily & they're generally of a pretty high quality too. I also really enjoy the psychotic vocal delivery which only accentuates the sheer extremity of what must surely be one of the most intense bands on the global scene. They certainly aren't for everyone but then... neither am I!

I can't say that "Altered States of America" is a cybergrind record because there's really nothing "cyber" about it other than a drum machine. It's definitely best represented by The Horde though. There's no question about that.