The Grasshopper Lies Heavy – HEAVY

San Antonio, Texas’ The Grasshopper Lies Heavy as with the Melvins’ Big Business amalgamated line-up, features two Drummers Steven Barrera and Luke Zachary, there’s also Guitarist/Vocalist Mitchell James Woodard, Guitarist James Cameron Taylor and Bassist Oscar Moreno. Formed in 2005, the band have a string of records to their name, though it was 2021’s A Cult That Worships A God Of Death with which I am most familiar seeing as I covered it for The Sleeping Shaman.

The quintet are signed to Minneapolis’ Learning Curve, who are the natural heirs to Am Rep not just in terms of geography but also underground street cred. The label is home to In Lieu, Unstable Shapes, The Triceratops, Missouri Executive Order 44, MURF, all of whom I’ve covered for Clean Sheets. HEAVY sees a continuation of the er, heavier direction started on the aforementioned A Cult That Worships A God Of Death, so that if you’re inclined to their Post-Rock, cinematic works you may potentially be disappointed, I’m just hoping I won’t be.

‘Human Claymore’ makes an impact right from the off, what with its mix of Celtic Frost Doomy Blackened Metal and Die Kreuzen’s pioneering Post-Hardcore/Proto-Grunge. This wonderfully dynamic track demonstrates how a hiatus, however short, can serve a band well. ‘Lyrics Are Hard’ is interestingly named seeing as it's only recently where Vocals have employed on a TGLH release, but you’d never guess as much so effortless does it sound. Musically it's the kind of riff heavy Sludge Metal one would easily associate with the Melvins and Black Cobra. Mastodon were also mentioned in the promo-notes and despite not being a fan, I can spot the parallels to that band’s less ponderous early works, monstrous. ‘We Are All The Antichrist’ ups the tempo with a sound reminiscent of Napalm Death’s mid-tempo Death-Metal orientated works ala Diatribes. A slamming piece guaranteed to inspire (unfortunately) the now ubiquitous kung-fu style of moshing. More Metal influences abound, with ‘Tallow Man’ taking cues from Max Cavalera era Sepultura, the grooves not far removed from what can be found on Chaos AD. The last portion of the track sees the band at their mellowest and expansive, providing fans with a pleasant nostalgic kick yet one that doesn’t sacrifice any of the intensity.

I’ve no idea where the sample at the beginning of ‘Cure 1997’ comes from but this is purely academic as you are so positively enraptured by the Nu-Metal flourishes, think Earth Crisis’ controversial Slither and/or the brutal Metalcore of latter day Ringworm. ‘Cubicle Man’ has elements of Long Island Post-Hardcore heroes Vision of Disorder, the Vocals reminiscent of Tim Williams, especially around the time of Imprint. Much like VOD, there is an angularity present which helps to keep the whole affair fresh and interesting and this is something which I can more than appreciate.‘Labyrinth’ the shortest track on the album is also an instrumental with some truly fantastic playing and shout outs to Post-Metal yet a good deal more engaging than most bands from that genre (ISIS and Amenra I’m looking at you). Finally ‘Maze’, is in essence a continuation of the instrumental themes of its predecessor and quite progressive sonically. The feedback squeals and grinding post-Thrash are not overly dissimilar to what Machine Head produced on the much overlooked The More Things Change… album. An enthralling conclusion to the album.

I intonated earlier that older fans of TGLH may find it difficult to get onboard with Heavy; however I’m now revising that opinion. This intelligently crafted record will doubtlessly appeal to everyone with a modicum of taste.