Releasedate:   22-06-2026
Label: Phobia Records/Cimex Records

What does a person need to have a great summer?

Time off from work, good company, and a supergroup that hits you harder than the heat wave.

Of course, the concept of a “supergroup” goes a bit against the anti-star philosophy of punk culture, but it wasn’t the musicians who described Totalis that way—it was our own caste. Let’s set that aside for now, though, and see what’s going on in “Griefstate.”

So, as if in a dream, from the darkest underground basements, War//Plague guitarist Andy Clefton and Charlie Claesson, drummer for the legendary Anti-Cimex, decided to team up and do what they do better than most. Creating music that builds on the legacy of Discharge and is perfect for a wild dance-off.

And since they’re no amateurs, they brought bassist Kelly Halliburton (Detestation, Masskontroll) into the mix, and handed out three songs each to Mark “Barney” Greenway (Napalm Death) and Fredrik Wallenberg (Skitsystem) to make me pee my pants with joy.

So before I hit play, I close my eyes and whisper ten times, “Let it be awesome”… as if I’d stumbled upon Aladdin’s lamp, guys.

“Griefstate” may be short in duration, but it delivers an overflowing musical libido from titans of the extreme scene, in an ideally massive production by Adam Tucker at SignatureTone Recordings in Minneapolis, and even though each vocalist recorded from their own location, it sounds as if they were all together in the same room.

The first three tracks, bearing the vocal stamp of the Napalm Death frontman, clearly demonstrate the connection that the British forefathers of grindcore have with the D-beat sound, and Barney’s voice is the perfect fit for Griefstate’s material.

Next, although Fredrik’s tone is less baritone, the songwriting philosophy remains unchanged and pushes forward with heavy riffs and relentless drums.

Fans of d-beat punk were treated to a wonderful summer with this sweet yet fierce release, and brace yourselves—the new Totalitär is on its way, which you’ll read about in a few days.

Line up:

• Mark “Barney” Greenway (Napalm Death) – Vocals 
• Fredrik Wallenberg (Skitsystem) – Vocals 
• Charlie Claesson (Anti-Cimex) – Drums
• Andy Lefton (War//Plague, Fear of the Known) – Guitars
• Kelly Halliburton (Detestation, Severed Head of State) – Bass

Links:

Bandcamp