Infamy "s/t" 7"
[Sjakk Matt Plater]
Nice. I grabbed this one on a whim and I'm glad I did. This is some pounding hardcore/punk from Norway with typically gruff shouting vocals and a crunchy metallic edge to their generally fast and hard hitting delivery. Their overall sound isn't that far off from the Swedish sound, but it's not really that melodic, there are some dissonant chords at times, but it's more in your face, and some of the faster areas have a thrashy sort of feel. "Drop by Drop" starts out slower and somewhat more melodic in a way, but barely... it's definitely one of the best songs herein, though. "Hatred Messiah" even cranks out some post-hardcore types of textures with some droning chords and a greater sense of rhythmic focus, which really brings a unique take to this style of hardcore/punk. The recording is understandably rough around the edges, but it doesn't bother me too much. They've got the heaviness that they need, it's just that some of the biting high-end tones cut into that density and create some unnecessary noise. With a slighter cleaner sound these songs would fucking demolish everything I bet. The 7" comes in a black and white sleeve with simple artwork and a xeroxed insert inside for the lyrics. Most of the text is handwritten, and the lyrics, while topically standard, are definitely original as far as approach. "Feeding in the darkness on the remnants of the mind, In this quest for madness the blind are leading the blind, Horror occupies the mind, a planet so futile and vile, And all the while we slowly deteriorate and die..." This is a killer record from a band that I hope and expect to hear great things from in the future. They're taking the basic framework and doing their own thing with it, and I suspect this is only the beginning. (7/10)
Running time - 11:00 (approximately), Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Keep the Lie Alive, Drop by Drop, Hatred Messiah]
Sjakk Matt Plater - sjakkmatt666@hotmail.com

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