Landmine Marathon/Scarecrow [Split CD]

This split release is an interestingly bifurcated exercise in retro fetishism. Arizona's Landmine Marathon revive the early-'90s Earache death metal/grindcore of Napalm Death and Bolt Thrower. However, they have the benefit of hindsight; the sharp performances and assured songwriting are more bracing than their inspirations. Lead growler Grace Perry sometimes sounds like a man, in a good way, but she also lets loose quite a paint-peeling shriek. Backing her scarred throat is a crack team of technicians that roll out catchy riffs, one after the other, as if they came cheap. They don't, though; Landmine Marathon's three tracks have more good ideas than most bands' albums. The Bay Area's Scarecrow are likewise riff-endowed -- perhaps too much so. Essentially, they cram Metallica's Ride the Lightning into three songs. The result is a bonanza of guitar fireworks that's startling even in an age of shredders. "The Scum Also Rises" levitates into a ridiculously over-the-top solo that evokes Kirk Hammett on both speed and steroids. "Twilight's Last Gleaming" alternates its Metallica riffs with Megadeth-esque lead trade-offs. The sound is a little primitive, but the energy is infectious. On paper, these bands are an odd pairing, but they're really just taking different taxis to the same airport.