Short but sweet, this one, as is the EP itself! Well… short, maybe. Sweet isn’t the right adjective to describe the music. More harsh, sludgey, blistering and slightly disturbing. Which is what I’m sure Gnasch were going for.
Aided by three guest musicians (Nicklas Rudolfsson, Erik Sahlström and Jörgen Sandström), the Bristol 3-piece have created a 20-minute soundscape. Although presented as a single 20-minute track, it roughly splits into three nameless sections. Each is quite different from the other, but definitely fits into the sludge bracket – as advertised! Part one is more of a traditional “song” in format (and I really enjoyed it), while the second movement is far slower and more eerie. Voices are used very much more as another instrument rather than with any attempt at vocalisation in the main, and that’s just fine for this style of music. In fact, the only word I could make out through the track was the EP title. There are lyrics which you can read on their Bandcamp page as you stream it if you wish.
In fairness, this isn’t exactly a singalong genre, more of a slow, nodding headbang and Gnasch definitely know what they’re doing to encourage that. As lighter, near-feedback tones take us into part three it’s almost like you’re seeing daylight after escaping the depths of Satan’s oily machine shop, but this isn’t going to last. Heavy weights once again crash down, and the guitars cut deep as Infinihate reaches its blistering conclusion.
About as welcoming and easy on the ear as a training conference for Cenobites, Infinihate is absolutely going to rain misery on you. In all the best ways.
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Infinihate is out now
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