This split has a pretty interesting concept. Take a ridiculously fast grindcore band and a ridiculously slow sludge band and put them on the same CD. Elysium have the first 4 tracks on this and are done in just under 6 minutes. Some pretty quality powerviolence from this French outfit.

Monarch have the 5th and final track and it takes up just under one hour! "Amplifire Death March" is easily their best track yet. You can sense the growth in the band, both songwriting-wise and playing. The singer isn't quite as ear-shredding as on the self-titled double CD debut. She's still vicious and incomprehensible, but she seems to have grown into her voice a little since the debut and it really fits well. Even though the song doesn't get any faster than "Slow" on the speed scale, they really build some forward momentum between the 30 to 45 minute marks. It feels like a steamroller whose driver fell asleep and is...very...slowly...getting...away! Like you could catch up to it, but there's no way in hell you're stopping it. I absolutely love it.

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