Sayyadina - Mourning the Unknown

by Jason from Deadthyme


I reviewed Yacopsae's Tanz, Grosny, Tanz... recently and said that it was one of the best modern grind albums I've ever heard. I also said it was a shame that they are so unknown. Well, I'll say the exact same thing for these Sayyadina.

I have another album by Sayyadina, as well as tracks on Relapse's Swedish Assault comp, and they never cease to amaze. Mourning the Unknown is tight, blasting but controlled chaos somehow captured on vinyl to give grindheads orgasms. These guys might be just a tad more on the hardcore side of the metal/ hardcore mix which makes up grindcore, but most of the best grind bands are. Yeah I know, Repulsion and early Carcass are great bands but both are a little on the metal side of the mix. Then again, they're really the exceptions to the rule, unless you like the ridiculous level that goregrind and pornogrind have reached.

The key to amazing grind bands like Sayyadina and Yacopsae (besides the incredibly tight musicianship) is to include just enough originality for it to stay interesting, but not enough for it to not be considered grindcore anymore I guess since all kinds of crap is considered grindcore these days that really isn't, that might now be a moot point. Anyway, Sayyadina (whose name is taken from Frank Herbert's Dune book series) was, like Yacopsae, not mentioned in either Decibel or Terrorizer magazines' grindcore issues. Shame on them.

Sayyadina - Mourning the Unknown

Jason Beck produces and DJs the Deadthyme counter-culture music show. Listen to Deadthyme from 2:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. every Monday morning on KPFT 90.1 fm in Houston (and online).