Grindcore is not my usual cup of tea. I'm a Melody junkie, and for the most part Grindcore is the antithesis of what I desire from Extreme music. So when got the promo for KEITZER's fifth studio album "The Last Defence", I admit I cringed a little at the prospect of reviewing it. To my everlasting joy however, it turned out to be nothing like the Melody-devoid nonsense I had imagined, and instead turned into among the best Grindcore experiences I've ever had.

The core reason for this is simple: KEITZER is not a straight-forward Grindcore band. It's almost as much a Death Metal band as it is a Grindcore band, but it's thankfully not a Deathgrind as these guys are not afraid to incorporate Melodic aspects into their mix to give structure and power to their assault. The result is a gloriously high-paced anthem to destruction and mayhem that blasts with ease and conviction through the 37 minutes that make up "The Last Defence". And in true Grindcore fashion the songs are, for the most part, short and relentless; only 6 of the 14 songs reach over 3 minutes and only 1 of them ("Fleshcrawl") go over the 4 minute mark. There are however not really any extreme "microsongs" present, as the shortest track ("Exist to Destroy") rests comfortably at 1 minute and 2 seconds in length.

And as should be expected, the concept of slowing down is completely alien to KEITZER, who never once fail in their duty to provide a relentless assault at everyone and everything. That being said, there's enough tempo variation in the assault to prevent disheartening repetition, and the few Melodic nuances that they sneak in really helps keep the album interesting. Another factor that makes this release stand above my expectations is the recording quality, which is more reminiscient of a Death Metal recording than a typical Grindcore recording, giving the music a lot more weight and power to it.

In the end however, a Grindcore album can only go so far for me before I start to long before something... different. It's not on the legendary levels of NAPALM DEATH and pre-"Heartwork" CARCASS, which are just about the only exceptions I've made when it comes to avoiding Grindcore, but it's probably the most intriguing Grindcore album I've heard outside of those giants. It's powerful, it's relentless and it manages to stay interesting enough to keep me listening - and as far as Grindcore bands go, that's bloody impressive. Pureblooded Grindcore fans may find it a bit too Melodic and true-hearted Death Metal fans may want a little bit more, but anyone willing to cross the line should have an absolute blast with KEITZER's "The Last Defence".