BIOGRAPHY

Formed in 2017, BARREN is a Belgian grindcore outfit featuring current and former members of Agathocles, Aborted, Emeth, and Suppository. Embracing the self-styled banner of “chainsaw grind,” the band channels the classic HM-2 buzzsaw tone of Swedish death metal to create a dense, crushing wall of guitar and bass. Fueled by relentless blastbeats and frenzied riffs, BARREN intersperses its sonic assault with eruptions of mid-tempo savagery and sharp, unpredictable tempo shifts.

In 2020, BARREN recorded their first collection of songs at the Chainsaw Laboratory, later mixed and mastered at Hearse Studios. The band self-released a demo and two EPs in 2021—material that quickly caught the attention of Esagoya Records (JPN), who issued the songs on CD on 22/02/2022. That same year, Grand Vomit Productions (US) released a split CD with Berated on 31/04/2022. BARREN subsequently signed with Grindhead Records (AUS), leading to the release of their debut full-length album, I, on 16/12/2022.
Throughout 2023, BARREN appeared on several notable compilations, including Good Guys Go Grind Vol. 2 and Noxious Ruin Magazine Vol. 8. Impressed by the band’s contribution, Noxious Ruin commissioned a split release with Germany’s Vomitspell. In 2024, Selfmadegod Records released a split CD/LP pairing BARREN with Swedish grinders Sickrecy, receiving strong support from the international grindcore community. BARREN carried this momentum into 2025, releasing a split 10″ with Lesser Animal (USA) and later a 7″ split with Distaste (AT). Since their inception, the band has worked relentlessly to cement their position within the global underground grindcore landscape.

Performance Highlights

• Open Air Death Feast Festival 2024
• Grind After Death Festival 2025
• Obscene Extreme Festival 2025
• Shared the stage with bands such as Rotten Sound, Wormrot, The Arson Project, Whoresnation, Teething, Distaste and many more.