King Parrot A Young Person's Guide To King Parrot CD Review
King Parrot
A Young Person's Guide To King Parrot
Housecore Records
Australia’s King Parrot have been kicking in teeth, and probably more than a few heads with their auditory grind/death metal/crust/hardcore machinations for a while now. This new ten song platter is their first since 2022’s Holed Up in the Lair EP, and their first full length since 2007’s Ugly Produce, which received a ton of critical acclaim. To say their bar to follow up was high, is a bit of an understatement. But lest we fear they haven’t, we can rest easily with A Young Person’s Guide to King Parrot.
A Guide… is their first album on Housecore Records (yes, Phil Anselmo of Pantera infamy’s label) and it was recorded by Luke Walton at Melbourne's Dangertone Studios. The band have commented that throughout the mixing process they really honed in on where each instrument and vocal sat, making sure they were all 100% satisfied with the end result. That's no easy feat given the chaotic nature of their material, but I can attest upon my listens that every instrument is audible, clear and never gets lost in the inherent noise of most albums of this ilk. King Parrot set themselves apart in that regard as well. There are the sensory destroying blastbeat moments of course, but there are also plenty breakdown chugs alongside some crusty hardcore punk soloing and riffing and the tremolo picked death and grind moments. What I find most interesting is that vocally, the approach varies from deathly gutturals, hardcore shouts and anguished unhinged screams not unlike Dwid Hellion of Integrity.
Grindcore records are also typically short in their running time, and I feel that the band did themselves a great service in the track listing here. It really feels they boiled it down to their best and the album flows seamlessly from beginning to end at a sparse 22 minutes and 34 seconds! For the standouts, we have the hilariously titled “Fuck You and the Horse You Rode in on”, “Cunning as a Dunny Rat”, “I Got the Right” and weighty album closer “Pissing on the Fist of the Law’. King Parrot is staying true to their game here, and if you are into Integrity, Napalm Death, Blood Duster and Gadget then this nasty slab will have you grinning Chelsea style as you wonder how an album could effectively make you bang your head and so effortlessly and unsuspectingly slit your throat in the process. Dangerous lot these boys, but they are worthy and song-oriented entry into the annals of a genre that often has no structure to speak of. Strong come back indeed…
~TB