Hailing from Finland, the grindcore act known as SONIC POISON just released their debut full-length album, "Eruption," on Me Saco un Ojo Records. On this album, SONIC POISON has added some death metal into their brand of grindcore. This album is part of a subgenre known for excessive speed and short song lengths. There are sixteen tracks on "Eruption" and the album clocks in at just over twenty minutes long. This album has a rougher production style than other grindcore bands, such as AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, LENG TCH'E, and PIG DESTROYER. The production style is more akin to that of NAPALM DEATH. The lyrical themes deal with death, nuclear war, the apocalypse, and, of course, politics. Some thrash influences can be heard on "Reeking Earth," "Taste Of Inferiority," "Grinding Fear," "War On Drugs," and "Uprising." The vocals range from high-pitched rasps to low growls, at times switching between both styles in the same song.

The shortest track on "Eruption," "No Time," is a mere fifteen seconds long. There is a flaw where this track segues into "War On Drugs." "No Time" ends mid-scream and the rest of the scream ends just as "War On Drugs" begins. The album's closer, "World We Knew" is the longest track on this album with its two-minute runtime. This track caps off a fun album nicely. There is also quite a lot of death metal infused into "Eruption." This is most evident on "Carbonized," "Antithesis," "Library Slasher," "Radiate The Masses," and "World We Knew." The riffs on the entire album are lots of fun even though they can be easy to miss if your attention wavers.

SONIC POISON has crafted an enjoyable album with plenty of inspiration contained within. It may not be as accessible as PIG DESTROYER, but the subgenre that is grindcore isn't the most accessible to begin with. The individual tracks on "Eruption" lack memorability, with their short runtimes, but the album is worth multiple listens. This album can be used as an excellent introduction to this fast and abrasive style of metal.