UMUR "Agoraphobic Nosebleed" is an EP release by US grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The EP was released through Bovine Records in 1996 and is a re-release of the band´s 30 song demo from 1995. It´s the band´s first label release. Agoraphobic Nosebleed was formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts and at that point it was a one-man project featuring Scott Hull (guitars, programming). The vocals on the EP are delivered by various vocalists.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed are often referred to as a drum-machine grindcore band, as a consequence of the drums being programmed. That´s just one of the components which make up their sound though, and often people focus way too much on that feature when describing the music. So let´s get it out of the way. Yes the drums are programmed and no it´s not that apparent as Hull is a skilled programmer, and the drums are produced in a way where they sound relatively "normal".

Stylistically the music on the 30 track EP is aggressive and fast grindcore with raw distorted shouting vocals. Often the tracks are only a few seconds or maybe half a minute long, and it´s a release that is best enjoyed in full instead of track by track. It´s a relatively one-dimensional release but you´re still kept on your toes throughout the playing time as a consequence of the short bursts of insane brutality and raw aggression. The few times the pace is slowed down a bit, it feels like welcome breathers, but those moments are few and far between. The lyrics are typically sparse and often repeated words instead of longer meaningful sentences, but you´ll get an idea of what they are about from songtitles like "Eyes Like Two Pissholes in the Snow", "Fucking Move, Prick", and "If You Thought Elvis Was Good Live (Wait 'Til You See Him Dead)". These guys are pissed, but still deliver their message with a bizarre gleam in the eye.

The sound production is decent for the genre, and suits the music well. Raw, unpolished, and "In Your Face" like it´s supposed to sound. Overall it´s not the most exciting or original sounding grindcore release out there, but it´s obvious there´s some thought and talent behind the compositions and that counts for something. A bit more variation and more compositions which last for more than a few seconds could also have been nice, but as it is, the EP is still an interesting listen, and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.