Brainbombs - Skrammel
(Skrammel)

One of rock’s most dark and grotesque bands is at it again with the latest in what is now a trilogy of records on the Skrammel Records label. A noise rock band unlike any other, and one that I've admired for many years. Thanks to many strong 7" EPs over the 90's, and the masterpiece that is the Obey LP, the excitement I feel for a new Brainbombs record is pretty powerful. Uncompromising in their imagery and musical delivery, Brainbombs are definitely a love-them-or-hate-them band. Not many people are gonna stick around for songs about murder and perverse activities that consist of singular riffs sung with a thick Swedish accent, that's all I'm saying. So now we have Inferno which opens quite solidly with the titular track. The song builds masterfully, getting bigger and bigger as the heavily effected guitars strum. Then the sleazy riff and groove kick in and you know you're listening to a Brainbombs record. It's a fitting statement of a track to have as an opener as I listen to Inferno as a whole. The album has a very strong, sinister vibe. The riffs sound like they're cruising around a bad neighborhood looking to start a fight, slowly creeping along with no good intentions. But the band builds up everything in these songs so subtly and skillfully that sometimes it truly creeps up on you. After all, we are talking about a band that use just one riff per song. The punishment and excessive violence of past records is toned down quite a lot too with more psychedelic guitar work and less distortion. On the surface, this would seem disappointing but not so because these songs are so good. However with all the highlights of Infero, there are some not so great moments. The riff to the 3rd track "Rock Your World" really does nothing for me, and tests even my patience with its repetition. The track "Just An Ordinary Fuck" actually sounds, out of all things, quite shoegazey (GASP! did I just use the words shoegazey and Brainbombs in the same context?). An interesting moment for the band, but it didn't really work out too well for me. But I must say, every time I listen to this album I like it more and more. It's a Brainbombs album, get ready to get weird. (VII)
Check out a track here.