Misery Index

Formed in Baltimore in 2001 around Jason Netherton, after his stint with Dying Fetus, Misery Index sits in a death metal and grindcore register often close to deathgrind, with a dense, fast and abrasive writing style, threaded with hardcore punk accents. The band first gained recognition through the Overthrow EP in 2001 and then through Retaliate in 2003, before gradually stabilizing a lineup that notably includes Mark Kloeppel, Adam Jarvis and, since 2010, Darrin Morris. Misery Index develops a very taut sound, based on the alternation between jagged riffs, extreme accelerations, tempo changes and rugged shared vocals, in a more direct approach than demonstrative technique. The lyrics regularly address power relations, social fractures and contemporary political mechanisms, in line with a name borrowed from the same-named economic indicator. Over the years the band has toured internationally and consolidated its place on the extreme metal and hardcore scenes, with albums such as Discordia (2006), Traitors (2008), Heirs to Thievery (2010), The Killing Gods (2014), Rituals of Power (2019) and Complete Control (2022).