new music: philly grindcore act jesus piece serves up a rare mix of thoughtful lyrics and hyper-aggressive riffs

The radio in this coffee shop is playing “The Girl From Ipanema,” and my headphones are blaring its polar opposite. Philly grindcore / metal band Jesus Piece’s latest EP is an increasingly rare breed of thoughtful heartfelt lyrics and hyper-aggressive music.The kind of heavy music that demands you dig through the lyrics to decipher the screams. “The Girl From Ipanema,” meanwhile just demands that you ignore it as politely as possible. Over three behemoth tracks, the band tackles corporate greed and economic inequality (“Greed”), and a plea for better mental health (“Left to Drown”). Most surprisingly is a Hare Krishna mantra embedded in the middle with feedback taking the place of a drone (“Mantra”). Though maybe the single least contemplative mantra ever recorded, there’s something compelling in the contradictions. Jesus Piece’s Summer 16 Promo is available on Bandcamp.

By Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK contributor