The year was 1985 and MTV was still just a baby. They were actually showing videos 24/7 back then, unlike today. Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, Wham and similar acts dominated the airwaves, but what were the youth of that time to do if that wasn’t their cup of tea? Well, for Dennis Gergely and Erik Barath, they took channeled their disgust of fluffy pop stars into a style of music that was almost unheard of at the time. It was aggressive and angry and even a bit intimidating for some. A new artistic form of expression was upon on and thrash metal had a new voice. This was the birth of Indestructible Noise Command.
The band recorded a demo in 1986 and started to catch the attention of many in the industry. They shared the stage with bands such as Megadeth and King Diamond and were really shaking things up. Five angst driven guys, who had just graduated from high school 6 short months earlier, were being signed to Giant Records. Things were looking really good for the boys.
1987 saw the release of their debut album Razorback and the follow-up The Visitor was released in 1988. People were showing up in the masses to see them live and they were gaining the respect of many of their peers. They even had Pantera opening up for them back in the day! Well, the label started to falter and the band decided to take a timeout rather than let a label do a mediocre job with their futures. I.N.C. was going to do this on their own terms.
Fast forward to 2010 and we see the band back together and releasing an EP entitled Bleed the Line and creating the same type of buzz that they created in 1986. This brings us up to speed as they are about to unleash their first full length album in over twenty years entitled Heaven Sent, Hellbound. The band, comprised of Dennis Gergely on vocals, Erik Barath on guitar, Anthony Fabrizi on guitar, Samuel Roon on bass and Dennis Leeflang on drums are back to show why they were so ahead of their time.
Producer Frederik Nordstrom has managed to capture what propelled these guys to the forefront of the trash metal genre 25 years ago. The album opens with the instrumental “Jackboot Thugbots” which is an apocalyptic sounding sound that sounds as if the masses are marching to go into battle. You have to love that title too!
The guys then press the pedal to the floor with “It’s Coming” and set the tone for the rest of the album. “Murder’s just a state of mind until a life is taken….tick tock, tick tock, this is it.” Dennis’ vocals are amazing and still harbor that rough, aggressive edge. Erik and Anthony lay down some blistering riffs that hook you in immediately. “If I Were President” starts off with a Pantera-ish start to it, but the middle of the song lunges forward at a speed sure to get the pit moshing.
“Fueled by Regret” is another assault on the senses. Dennis is a beast on the double kick drum on this song. Mid way through the song, the double guitar assault is so intense that it sounds like a swarm of bees on the warpath. “Fist of Fascista”, my early on favorite song on here, is one that I really hope the boys bring to their live show.
“God Loves Violence”, the first video released, is classic I.N.C., yet with a certain maturity that comes with 25 years of life under their belts. There are actually two versions of this video. The first one is pretty violent with intense imagery. The second is a tamer performance piece from the guys. “The Good Bones Stay Down” combines intense lyrics that bring about fierce imagery of a love gone bad. We all have experienced a love like this. “Poison slowly choking the soul, love turned hate, I’ve lost all control.” The song churns along at a great pace that would translate very well into their live show.
This new album is a triumphant return for the guys who have never truly gotten the credit that they deserve for being pioneers in this genre. It’s a very solid recording from beginning to end and I highly recommend it to thrash fans and to just about any metal head out there who can appreciate the intensity that Indestructible Noise Command bring, both musically and lyrically. The only fault that I have to it is that I had to wait 23 years to crank this!
1 comment:
So strange you mention the 80's, because I've had the 80's on the brain lately. I adore the 80's for so many reasons, but the changes in music during that time were profound, in my opinion, and I don't think enough people give it credit. Techno, house, new wave, hair/glam metal and hip hop emerged. Punk saw changes and signficant evolution as it became a bit more mainstream. The metal genre, though, saw perhaps the most growth and expansion of all the genres. Ah yes, the 80's were superb. This post made me happy. I thank thee.
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