MILKING THE GOATMACHINE hailing from Marburg, Germany were formed in 2008 by Goatleeb Udder and Goatfreed Udder. They are the first German Deathgrind band and have been very active in releasing albums. "Nach Uns Die Grindflut" is their 9^th full-length album (including their cover album). It is entirely in German and has a length of almost 43 minutes. The album was released via German label Reaper Entertainment, which has a number of Death and Thrash Metal bands among their current roster.

MILKING THE GOATMACHINE have been dividing the audience since their early days. Either you take them or leave them. Apart from their strong affection to goat in any form, the lyrics are often humorous word games or poking fun at something. "Nach Uns Die Grindflut" is by no means different. With the lyrics being in German, the focus is put on wordings in German, for example the saying "Nach Uns Die Sintflut" (which means "We Do Not Care") becomes the title song "Nach Uns Die Grindflut". There are several examples like "Stallhalla" or "Ist Der Huf Erst Ruiniert". With both titles, it is not only playing around with words, there is also the link back to the goats, as the German "Huf "means hoof and "Stall" means stable. Some other of the word games relating to a television series "Ein Stall (Schloss) Am Wörthersee" and to a famous song from the 70s "Ein Brett (Bett) Im Kornfeld". Sometimes, replacing single words can make a funny difference.

Musically, the story of "Nach Uns Die Grindflut" is a short one as MILKING THE GOATMACHINE offer that what MILKING THE GOATMACHINE can offer: a decent mixture of Grind, Death, Crust, and Punk elements. Not more, but not less! While the sound of the opener "Piccolo Im Streichelzoo" leans certainly a bit more towards Death Metal with the predominantly low growls, the direct riffing, and a cool breakdown at the end, "Kackeball" is more dynamic with changes in tempo and rhythm and more towards Deathgrind, including the characteristic squeals. The tempo is mainly around mid-tempo with a few slower, but also a few faster, blast-beat driven parts. "Piccolo Im Streichelzoo" is the official video release, and the YouTube link is given below.

„Rettet Den Wald... Esst Mehr Biber" („Save the forest...eat more beaver") is one of my album highlights. The riffing is very direct, and Thrash inspired, while the chorus parts have a few Punk vibes. The down-tempo break is driven by the lead guitars and creates a chilling atmosphere. MILKING THE GOATMACHINE smartly mix things up as „Raus Mit Die Viecher" is a bludgeoning Grindcore track, while „Am Zaun Der Zeit" is a mid-tempo Death Metal song with a short part at insane speed. There actually is not a lot of pummeling at crazy speed on the album. There are a few songs with short, hammering parts like „Stallhalla" or the 40 seconds long „Waddema", but most songs are mid-tempo tracks with a few twists in rhythm.

Another album highlight is "Ist Der Huf Erst Ruiniert" with its tight guitar riffing, the grim atmosphere, the comprehensive drumming, and all the subtle changes in rhythm. There are a lot of Crust and Punk elements on the album, perhaps more compared to previous albums. Examples are „Mutter Der Mann Mit Der Milch Ist Da", „Rettet Den Wald... Esst Mehr Biber", and „Magermilch Mambo". The title song is the album closer and MILKING THE GOATMACHINE finish on a high. „Nach Uns Die Grindflut" is a spine-chilling song at a head-banging, almost stomping rhythm with the exception of a short hammering break. The riffing is sharp and almost a bit catchy; the vocals are brutal ranging from deep lying growls to highly pitched screams, and the melodies are doom-laden.

The new album of MILKING THE GOATMACHINE leaves me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it has certainly its moments, but on the other hand, there are a lot of songs which sound familiar to those of previous albums. In general, the sound of „Nach Uns Die Grindflut" is comparable to what the goat addicts have done in the past, perhaps with a few more Crust and Punk elements. The production of the album is raw, which is beneficial to the sound. „Nach Uns Die Grindflut" is a solid album and MILKING THE GOATMACHINE fans will surely love it, whether Deathgrind fans beyond the goat circles will dig the album, remains to be seen.