UMUR "And On and On..." is a split album by US hardcore/ grindcore act Despise You and US grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The split will be released in April 2011 by Relapse Records.

The album contains 18 tracks by Despise You and 7 tracks by Agoraphobic Nosebleed. I didn´t know about the existence of Despise You before listening to this split release, but apparently it´s the band´s first release in over 10 years. Agoraphobic Nosebleed is a rather prolific name in grindcore circles and I always have high expectations when I see their name on a new release.

The Despise You part of the split is a very enjoyable slap of hardcore/ grindcore. Lots of aggression and solid playing. Some songs are short burst of energetic grindcore while others have a more hardcore punked edge. We´re talking high quality music here, delivered with plenty of attitude and fierce aggression. This part of the split has really impressed me and I´m definitely going to find out more about Despise You when I get the chance. The vocal delivery is one of the key elements in the band´s music and in addition to the raw and aggressive delivery there are also some high pitched vocals which actually sound a bit comical. But in a good way.

The 7 tracks by Agoraphobic Nosebleed are not surprisingly of high quality. This time around the band have added a heavy sludgy element to some of the tracks, which gives this part of the split a nice varied touch. And boy do they deliver their sludge in a fiercely aggressive way. Take a listen to the closing track "Burlap Sack". That´s one caustic delivery. They´ve also added a lot of guitar solos too, which isn´t something I usually remember hearing much of in their music. A nice feature that gives me associations to crossover/ thrash.

The production on the tracks by both artists is really powerful, raw and perfect for the tracks.

It´s hard to say which band´s material is the best here so I´ll just state that this is one fantastic grindcore/ hardcore split release. It´s not everyday you find grindcore releases which features this much variation and still sound consistent. A 4 - 4.5 star rating is deserved. I find this release highly recommendable.

J-Man Grindcore isn't typically a genre that impresses me very much, but every once in a while a top-notch release proves that the genre does have plenty to offer. And On and On... is one of those releases for sure! This is a violent, balls-to-the-wall, and absolutely irresistible album from two of the best acts in grindcore. Kudos to Relapse Records for bringing this split between Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Despise You to my attention!

I must confess that prior to hearing And On and On... I hadn't actually checked out either of these bands. I had intentions of getting some Agoraphobic Nosebleed stuff eventually, and I'd never even heard of Despise You. So you could say that this split opened my eyes to two really excellent U.S. grindcore acts. This 25-song album consists of 18 tracks from Despise You and 7 tracks from Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

Although it may seem that Despise You has the bulk of the playing time here (judging by the track divisions), only one of their songs here exceeds the 2 minute mark. Despise You relies heavily on fast, aggressive bursts of energy, and does it very well! They play a mix of hardcore and grindcore - the vocals are mainly punk-styled and very raw. There are also a lot of high-pitched, child-sounding vocals that add a bit of a humorous edge to their side of the split.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed plays (at least on this split) a sophisticated grindcore style with heavy sludge influences. Their songs are generally a bit longer and more drawn-out than Despise You, but they're equally powerful. I just love the vocal delivery here, and the use of guitar solos adds plenty of nice variation and complexity.

And On and On... is a great split album from Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Despise You that all fans (or even casual fans) of grindcore should investigate further. This album has some extremely heavy grindcore blasts, yet enough variation to keep any monotonous feelings away. Both bands perform excellently and compliment each other wonderfully - this won't be the last album I hear from either of these bands! 3.5 stars are well-deserved for this great split release.