Although female-fronted Metal is becoming more popular all the time, female-fronted Grindcore is another story. And here to tell that story is TRANSIENT, from Oregon in the United States. The quartet is headed by vocalist Krysta Martinez. Martinez has been with the band since its initiation in 2008, as has bassist Adam Wilson, whilst guitarist Stefan Thompson and drummer Jesse Shreibman joined later on. The group have suffered a few setbacks over the years, but have pulled through and are proud to release their self-titled album, "Transient". Depending on you stance on Grindcore, this release will either have you starting your own moshpit wherever you happen to be, or hiding under the covers. Time to find out which category you fall in to.

The opening track, "Bottom Feeder", kicks the album off in true Grindcore fashion. You'll instantly be greeted by extremely rapid drumming, distorted riffs and malevolent vocals. The track that follows, "Goad", features a funky bass solo in the introduction, and showcases the group's synchronicity. The highlights of the next track are the machinegun drums and some very deep vocals. "False Philanthropy" shakes things up a bit more than the previous two tracks, with even some melodic guitar appearing towards the end.

The album progresses in a relatively uniform way, with some instances of diversity. These include the metallic bass moments in "Praying mantic", the static effects which appear in "Cataphora", and the shattering cymbals in "Positivism". "The Shape of Grind To Come" is a pretty funky one, opening with some headbangable riffs. Another noteworthy number is "Snoop Scion", which features alternating music and vocals, and some intense doublekick.

TRANSIENT is comprised of some very talented musicians, and some dark souls. All tracks are between 30 seconds and two minutes, so if you're after something short but not so sweet, "Transient" is the album for you.