Nasum. For grindcore fans worldwide, this is a name that will live in infamy and a name that will be whispered for evermore. Between their four full lengths, Inhale/Exhale, Human 2.0, Helvete, and Shift, these Swedes became a household name for those of us looking for that extra bit of extreme that the far corners of metal offered if one was willing to seek out. However, with the 2004 tragic Indian Ocean tsunami incident that took the life of frontman Mieszko Talarczyk, the band went silent and rightfully so. They had lost a major piece of the puzzle in a tragic way and struggled with this loss. But, in 2012, what would’ve been the band’s 20th anniversary, they decided to hit 60 cities in a last blast sort of way with Rotten Sound’s Keijo Niinimaa on vocals and Director Michael Panduro capturing their final performance in October of the same year. The results are nothing short of exemplary but no surprises there as Nasum were always exemplary. This is a Christmas gift like no other and I’m giving you all the links below so do yourself a solid and BUY IT. Thank me later.
You may have had the opportunity to see this back in 2017 when it debuted in select venues but now, and finally, we have the physical and digital product to enjoy so I’m finally able to see it, digest it, and speak on it. The final product of this event is nothing short of amazing. There’s plenty of live footage of the band nailing grindcore and extreme metal in a way that only Nasum did but also tons of band member interviews and Q&A sessions that shine a light on the whys, hows, and reasons for this particular document as well as tons of nuggets any fan will treasure. The camera work is stellar as we see up front and personal footage of each band member destroying their instruments and the picture quality is the same as if you were actually there, on that 6th night of October 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden which would be the final swan song for this band that has done more for grindcore than just about any band in history. And, the sound quality of this thing is something you just have to experience and for gods sake please do it on a major sound system or surround system or something other than shitty headphones or earbuds. Give it that much respect, at least for the first viewing.
One thing, among many, that struck me was the brief footage of the band, backstage, right after the show and just how emotional they all were and the words they said to the camera regarding their feelings about what just took place and their collective way of dealing with closure. In addition, the audience reaction to what they were seeing and experiencing really adds another layer to this and even though we were not there, we can feel the electricity just watching their reactions. All in all, this is an epic finale to an epic band that tragically had their wings clipped way too early but I’m thankful, as a fan, to own this closing document to relive again and again. And that, I’ll be doing many times in the future. Hail Nasum. One more thing, before you go all high and mighty on the “you got this for free” horseshit; no, I didn’t. I got an email, followed the link and swiftly purchased it as any fan would do. Nasum is a part of me and my metal history and since I have this soapbox I’m spreading the word in hopes you’ll plop down the 10 bucks and enjoy it as well. Do it.
– Josh
Blasting Shit To Bits is available now on Vimeo OnDemand, Indiemerch and Selfmadegod Records. For more information on Nasum, visit their official website.
Nine Circles 