Phobia has been spreading its sociopolitical message amongst the masses for well over 12 years now. During that time they’ve put out 3 full-lengths, a couple of split-EPs and some 7”s and demos. All this hard work earned them a strong underground fan base and I think they can be sure they will not lose any of them with “Serenity Through Pain”. Instead they will gain a few. Their music is a ferocious blend of early grind, hardcore and death metal. “Serenity Trough Pain” features, minus the intro, 22 songs which rarely last over 2 minutes, but that’s inherent to the genre.

The production is alright but I think the guitars could have been produced more clearly because they sound a bit woolly and they’re mixed in quite softly. The lead part is reserved for singer Shane MacLachlan who uses a grunt-like voice and a scream, the latter of them I think is the best. On a side note: Matt Mills, who plays the drums on this album has already left the band and is replaced by Ramon Yuckmouth. Anyway, if you’re a lover of early grind/crust you can probably appreciate this record.