Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Shiro Ishii is comprised of a modest quadruplet: Haulenbeek, Spence, Freire, and Cutrer. Formed in February of 2008 and previously consisting of just three members, Cutrer is the newest addition to the band: assimilated into the lineup this past September as their “Lakhdive Insurgent.” Paralleling this verbal reduction to primal form is their music: combining the visceral growls and pounding drum beats of grindcore, melodic touches of black metal, and abrasive technicality of death metal, to compose each short (the seeming trademark of modern grind) but musically deliberate track. Such was the case when the band paid a visit to WNYU Radio, 89.1, playing a live-set for Hellhole, the station’s extreme metal show, which hits the airwaves every Friday night, from 9-10:30 p.m.

In the closet-sized performance room of the radio station, I got some one-on-one bonding time with the band, recording their 30 minutes on the air. Amidst the claustrophobia of four metal dudes (and their gear) in a small room, listeners were cast into the raw aggression and haunting ambiance of “Chapter Hell: Part II (Prisoner),” which, at the 1:45 mark, catapulted itself into complete rhythmic frenzy. With the wall of atonal guitar riffs, marked by the traces of minor melodies, the drum parts effectively established a rhythmic duet: delivering beats that were fast, without sounding triggered. The bass lines were prominent, bold yet well-complemented by the steady drum beats. All of these elements collided to form the sonic medium through which Forrest delivered his vocals: visceral growls that called to remembrance the horrors of biological warfare, zombies, and the human destructive impulse. Though a better part of their songs start with modest tempos, Shiro Ishii quickly shoves them into a furious pace that absolutely compels those listening to headbang. The band, currently on hiatus writing new material, keeps itself busy, saturating the New York metal scene with what’s fresh in grind and beyond, à la local hole-in-the-wall venues that permit. To hear their recorded in-studio performance, as well as brief post-set interview, visit the Hellhole archive at www.wnyu.org.