Forced Starvation: S/T
I know enough about grindcore to consider myself a fan, but not enough to call myself a connoisseur. I own enough grind LPs to have earned my merit badge. But I definitely don’t have a box of Agathocles split releases sitting on a shelf, and I couldn’t tell you the name of every Unholy Grave EP. Basically, I’m more of a dabbler than an addict. But hopefully, I can still provide a decent summary of the self-titled debut from Aotearoa New Zealand grindcore band Forced Starvation.
Forced Starvation are based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), and as a fellow resident of the world’s southernmost capital, I can tell you that things are not going swimmingly down under. Offshore, the prevailing myth is that New Zealand is a safe harbour, but that’s complete horseshit. We’re experiencing the same issues you’re experiencing. Reactionary political figures spouting bigoted rhetoric (✓). Distressing levels of homelessness (✓). Rampant addiction problems (✓). Spiralling unemployment (✓). A rapidly unfolding – and entirely unchecked – mental health crisis (✓).
The truth is, the streets of Aotearoa are filled with casualties of late-stage capitalism, which, I imagine, is lyrical grist for a punk-grind band like Forced Starvation. Vibes-wise – it’s fucking bleak out there.
Musically, Forced Starvation’s debut is indebted to 90s grindcore with a comparable harshness and a similarly belligerent feel. Bands like Excruciating Terror and Infest have been mentioned as inspirations, and you could probably sprinkle a little Assück, P.L.F., and Yacøpsæ into the mix, too. Forced Starvation’s music is stripped of the hyper-technical gymnastics and/or roid-rage peacocking that’s amplified on some contemporary grindcore releases. (No shade, btw, like what you like. The world’s on fire, find solace where you can.) Instead, Forced Starvation's sound is based on a few essential old-school components: abject filth, non-stop ferocity, and zero listener-friendly compromises.
Admittedly, ‘old-school’ can also mean tired and dated. But the 14 intense songs on Forced Starvation’s debut are the antithesis of that. Every song is crammed with skin-stripping abrasiveness and equal amounts of nihilistic ordnance. An explosive track like “Shit Giving Exacerbation” will ground you into fucking dust, while equally remorselessness noise nuggets “Circling the Drain” and “Bathed in Blackwater” are skull-crushing free-for-alls.
It’s been suggested you’ll hear “subtle hints of fastcore and brutal death” on Forced Starvation’s debut. In one sense, that’s entirely true – a broad spectrum of volatile/extreme music ingredients abound. But I’m not sure I’d call those ingredients ‘subtle’. Forced Starvation’s music is about as subtle as a battery-acid enema, with the band’s ferocious blend of influences ingested and regurgitated at breakneck speed. Nothing here is understated or hinted at.
A lack of subtlety doesn’t mean there’s no nuance, though. For all Forced Starvation’s savagery, the band’s transitions between full-bore grind and red-raw death metal – or their mixing and matching of thrashcore and powerviolence – are impressive. Tracks like “Cryptic Incursion”, “From My Rotting Body”, and “Crushed To Powder” are rapid-fire bursts of hybridised sonic warfare where punk throttles metal and metal garrottes punk – back and forth it goes, locked in battle.
Elsewhere, nods to Forced Starvation’s punk rock roots appear as crust slathers tracks like “Faceless Acquaintance” or “Front Towards Enemys”. Ultimately, you’ll hear what you want to hear, it’s a blizzard after all, but essential elements – bone-shattering bass and percussion, hideous vocals, and buzz-sawing riffs – remain throughout. Everything is as heavy as a collapsing building – absolute aural destruction.
None of that audio assaultiveness will surprise Forced Starvation’s hometown fans, given that all of the band’s members have played in similarly vicious Wellington outfits. For the benefit of those living far from Aotearoa’s shores – or those taking their first steps into the New Zealand music underground – here are some (but not all) of the fiercest Te Whanganui-a-Tara bands with close ties to Forced Starvation.
Meth Drinker: a phenomenal doom/sludge band that sparked a lot of offshore interest. All of Meth Drinker’s über-grim releases are worth acquiring; the band’s eponymous debut is a stone cold triumph.
Stress Ghetto: a consistently fun powerviolence (and raw hardcore) trio that has released several savage/grimy releases. Their Material Hardship 7” and self-titled cassette are great places to start.
Piggery: the band’s bulldozing debut overflowed with stenchcore and/or deathcrust. Piggery’s debut reeked, raged, and leeched oceans of boiling bile. I’d argue that Piggery’s blown-out debut is an unheralded classic.
Corpse Rat: lo-fi, mean af, and dripping with noxious noise. Start with the band’s gut-wound raw cassette and move on to their sole (split) 7”.
Bordger: full-force d-beat backed by blackened riffs and barking vocals. Check out their War of Extinction EP. Or their split with Naarm crusties, Extinct Exist. Both are heavy hitters.
Bonecruncher: Bonecruncher’s debut is now a decade old, but it remains a great example of punchy South Hemisphere crust. Few NZ bands produce this kind of crust, although Easy Off follows a slightly similar(ish) path.
Unruly: UK label Sludgelord Records released Unruly’s 2020 debut, which should give you a good idea of its contents. Expect slow-baked, fetid muck. Yum.
Rogernomix: one of Aotearoa’s definitive d-beat bands. The band’s Big Stinking Pile 7” is a favourite, but any of Rogernomix’s politically-charged releases will get your motor going.
All of the bands above have shown a diehard commitment to making a deafening racket, meaning all of Forced Starvation’s members have plenty of experience making confrontational music. I doubt any of Forced Starvation’s members would use the word ‘expertise’ to define their various skill sets. But it does take a certain level of mastery to make music that sounds simultaneously uncontrollable and yet tight-as-fuck.
Like many smaller cities worldwide, the underground music scene in Te Whanganui-a-Tara is compact and incestuous (the non-creepy definition of that word obviously applies here). A limited pool of musicians means performers frequently play in several different bands. Those bands often drop a rowdy release or two before promptly breaking up. Those breakups can be frustrating for fans, but inevitably, an interesting band (with another interconnected lineup) emerges from the wreckage. Some years, the underground scene in Wellington flourishes. Some years, it’s quieter. But a fresh crop of bands always sprouts at some point.
Of course, finding an audience is always a quandary for those bands. We live in a world where endless streaming and downloading options – and niche fan networks – render vast distances mute. But, for all those advantages, Aotearoa is still far from anywhere.
There are, of course, DIY labels working hard to support and sustain underground music in Aotearoa. For example, in Forced Starvation’s hometown, you’ll find subterranean stalwarts like Razored Raw, Limbless Music, and Always Never Fun. Obviously, supporting local labels is incredibly important for the health of any DIY music scene. But it’s always great to see New Zealand bands working with labels north of the equator. It’s a perfect example of the collaborative spirit of underground music. In a world rife with division, bringing fans and bands closer together has to count for something, right? (Or does that sound too idealistic? I am getting sentimental in my senior years.)
In any case, German grindcore and powerviolence label RSRecs is releasing Forced Starvation’s first musical endeavours. The band’s debut is very much in RSRecs’ wheelhouse, and the long-running label feels like a perfect international home base for the band. Extra points also to RSRecs for those recent Fuck on the Beach and Hacked Apart releases – and the upcoming LP version of Japanese crusties Todestrieb’s DEsperAte THanatology album. Monstrous noise-fests, one and all.
Let’s wrap things up. Forced Starvation’s debut features roughly 17 (extremely unfriendly) minutes of obliterating grind. Expect boiling sonic sewage that’s pitch-perfect for metal-punks to sink their rotten teeth into. At this point, Forced Starvation’s moniker has a particularly chilling resonance, conjuring wretched imagery of present-day atrocities. I cannot imagine what it feels like to be the victim of such appalling levels of violence, but witnessing such inhumanity also takes its toll. In the immortal words of one of grindcore’s kingpins, extreme conditions demand extreme responses, and in that sense, Forced Starvation’s music purges sickening emotions while providing a much-needed psychological exorcism.
Many of Aotearoa’s punk musicians have released ugly-sounding music that rewards both punk and metal fans, and Forced Starvation’s debut is a prime example of that. The album is another ripping release from the depths of Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s music scene, and like those aforementioned releases from Meth Drinker, Piggery, Stress Ghetto and kin, Forced Starvation’s debut oozes squalor while radiating anger.
Forced Starvation’s debut is a brutal onslaught – top marks for making such obnoxious noise.
PS: Forced Starvation are heading to Japan in August, and I do not doubt that Japan’s rabid underground music community will welcome the band with open arms. (I spent three months in Japan recently and can confirm the nation is a nirvana for noisy music nerds.) FYI, if you purchase a digital copy of Forced Starvation’s debut from their Bandcamp page (see link above), you’ll be helping to fund their upcoming tour – win-win.
You can also find digital, CD, and vinyl copies of Forced Starvation’s debut on RSRecs’ Bandcamp page. In Aotearoa, vinyl copies of the band’s debut will likely be available at Forced Starvation shows. Feel free to grab me a copy while you’re there!
