Infekcja "Przegrani" CD
[Trujaca Fala]
Here we have 25 tracks of diverse hardcore/punk from Poland that ranges from fast crust to grinding intensity, with a few tracks touching on a slower and darker edge or a quirky hardcore/punk undercurrent. The dual vocal attack sees tradeoffs between higher-pitched yells and lower shouts throughout, and the vocals are generally pretty damn cool. From a writing standpoint, "Sto Lat W Samotnosci" starts things off with a totally straightforward burst of moderately fast hardcore that's more stripped down than a lot of this material; "Przegrani..." kicks out some cool palm-muting riffs and has a sinister sort of undercurrent to some of its atmospheres; "Byc Rzadzonym" is much crunchier and more midpaced, immediately standing out with a more metallic approach that certainly represents the band's diversity well; "Humanitarne Naltoty" lets the basslines have a little more room and becomes one of the more forcefully memorable tunes; and "Badz Standartowy", by far the longest track at five minutes, starts out slowly with lightly distorted guitars and melodic bass pulses before eventually touching on the band's entire range of influences throughout. The recording isn't quite as heavy as I'd prefer, but it does sound good. The bass tone kicks ass, the drums sound nice and natural, the guitars are thick enough to get the job done, and the vocals rest barely out in front. I'd like to hear a heavier distortion over the guitars, and they ought to pull the vocals closer in with the music, but the mix is surprisingly crisp, so they've done a nice job for the most part. Tacked on as a bonus are tracks from the band's split 7" with S.O. War, as well as their self-titled and "Symbioza" EP's, which of course sound dirtier than the core full-length. The drums sound like shit on these tracks (which all seem like they came from the same recording session), but there's no denying fast ragers like "Strzez Sie!" - and what about the melodic sensibilities in "Gest Idoli", which is actually really damn catchy punk rock!? I'm pretty sure this one must be a cover song? "Czy Nie Ma Sposobu..." cranks out some solid crossover influences, and "Narkotyki - Apatia" even hits on a few unexpected metallic hardcore grooves!? The massive booklet contains tons of artwork and all of the lyrics (in Polish with English translations). The songs deal with a ton of different topics from general pain and frustration to attacking religion, political greed and corruption, drug abuse, sexism, and all of the other staples of the hardcore/punk handbook. I'm really digging the cover art, too! I haven't heard that many bands from the current Polish scene, but most of what I have heard has been pretty good - and from all different sides of the larger umbrella of the hardcore genre too, so I definitely hope I get the chance to check out more bands from that region, as this stuff ought to be getting a little more notice here in the US. Good stuff, and I definitely pat these guys on the back for keeping things fresh and making sure that their songs explore different influences without taking things too far. (7/10)
Running time - 54:49, Tracks: 25
[Notable tracks: Sto Lat W Samotnosci, Przegrani..., Byc Rzadzonym, Humanitarne Naltoty, Badz Standartowy, Strzez Sie!, Gest Idoli, Czy Nie Ma Sposobu...]
Trujaca Fala - http://www.trujacafala.com

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