Straight On Target’s Mediocritas: A Deathcore Assault Worth Remembering
Alright, let’s get this straight—Straight On Target isn’t here to hold your hand or sing you lullabies. Their 2011 album Mediocritas is a relentless slap in the face, and it doesn’t apologize for being one. Hailing from Italy and flying under the radar with no label backing them, these guys delivered a raw, unfiltered deathcore punch that still smacks harder than most polished crap flooding playlists today.
The album kicks off with "Intro: One Among the Ineptitude," which might sound like filler at first glance, but nah—it sets the tone like a rusty blade slicing through silence. It’s short, grimy, and leaves you feeling uneasy, like walking into a dark alley where something nasty’s about to go down. And then boom, track two, “He Spreads Hypocrisy,” hits you like a freight train derailed by rage. This song sticks because it just goes OFF. The breakdowns are filthy, the vocals sound like they were spat out of hell itself, and the riffs? They claw at your skull like a pissed-off wolverine. You don’t forget a track like this—it’s the kind of tune that makes you wanna smash stuff while screaming along even if you can’t understand half the words.
Another standout is “A Sadistic Painter.” If there was ever a soundtrack for losing your mind, this would be it. The groove slams so hard it feels illegal, and the shifts between blast beats and slow, crushing sections keep you on edge. Every time I hear it, I picture some twisted artist painting nightmares with blood instead of oils. It’s chaotic as hell, but that’s what makes it work. There’s no selling out here; it’s pure aggression bottled up and shaken until it explodes.
Now, not every track lands perfectly. Songs like “Aborted Insignificance” and “Addictionhated” (yeah, that’s how they spelled it) feel a bit too familiar, treading ground we’ve heard before in the genre. But honestly? That doesn’t matter much when the overall vibe is this brutal. Straight On Target didn’t reinvent the wheel—they just ran it over your face repeatedly.
Here’s the kicker though: why the hell did this band stay underground? Bands with half their intensity have blown up, yet Mediocritas slipped through the cracks. Maybe it’s the lack of label support, maybe it’s bad timing, or maybe they just didn’t give a damn about fame. Whatever the case, it’s wild how an album this heavy got buried.
So yeah, if you’re looking for polished production or radio-friendly hooks, skip this. But if you want music that punches you in the gut and dares you to hit back, Mediocritas is waiting. Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya—it bites.
