THE INFESTED - MYTHS, LIES & HYPOCRITES ALBUM REVIEWS! Hailing from Leeds in the UK, the Infested describe their sound to be similar to that of the numerous “Crack Rock Steady” bands, each of whom who have attempted to expand upon or recreate that infamous ska-core beat that first emerged with Choking Victim in the mid-..90s.
I first heard of the band back when I’d contentedly spend too much time online searching through scores of pages for that next dose of hard-hitting punk rock, particularly anything that echoed or (in some cases) blatantly plagiarised CV. At the time, the Infested, having underwent numerous lineup changes, had managed to release two decent but seemingly short albums. Now back with their official debut, Myths, Lies and Hypocrites released on EHC and Pumpkin Records, the Infested hope to cement themselves as a stable band once more.
It’s immediately obvious that the band intend to live up to their comparisons, as there are a lot of similarities to be drawn. -- everything “Crack Rock” is here, from the growling, gravelly vocals, right down to the discrete, almost incongruous classical piano sections as heard in Leftover Crack releases. However, the production seems to be a lot rawer than the likes of LOC’s, and despite incorporating the obviously catchy but equally murky ska riffs associated with the previously mentioned genre, the Infested tend to go for a much more hardcore sound at times.
When considered lyrically, it’s exactly what you’d expect. One song, for example, advocates the right to assisted suicide (“The Right to Die”) and is a refreshing and intelligent introduction to the genre.
Having previously been through my “Crack Rock Steady” phase; I honestly didn’t expect this album to appeal to my tastes, but surprisingly, I discovered an album that manages to stand on its own, an album that, yes, pays homage to but is not restricted to the genre it has been categorized among.
Overall, Myths, Lies and Hypocrites is more than a solid debut release from the young Leeds band, and considering it’s available for only £5 it’s a steal.
Review by: Codu (punknews.org)
It has taken the anarkopunks the Infested very long to finish their debut album, It has been 3 years since their first EP "Buy To Survive" came out and the band has been struggling since then to get this full-length out.
The problem has been band members quitting, which still seems to be a problem as the band desperately look for people who are willing to tour the world. Infested play punk rock in a dirty ska influenced fashion, something that in the general scene refers to as Crack Rock Steady. Think Choking Victim or The Dumpers i bet you get an idea of how this sounds.
The Lyrics are very aware and takes up everything from euthanasia via the fasionmachine to religion. everything is mixed together in a very melodic yet raw way that will have even the crustier kid to the skate punk singing along and dancing without stepping on each others feet.
Listen to the songs "Not Dead Yet" and "Crawling On My Back where these Englishmen really give something for their American genre buddies to chew on.
7/10
Roman - www.lukinzine.se (Sweden)do you like choking victim, leftover crack etc? no? then you may as well stop reading now......
for anyone that's still here, the new infested album dropped through my letterbox this morning and the first listen has left me very impressed indeed. it's been several years in the making but the wait has definitely been worthwhile. from Leeds but heavily influenced by the aforementioned crack rock steady stable of bands.....fast, frantic punk with added ska beats.
songs deal with the usual subjects; the right to die is a plea to legalise assisted suicide (""some people want their independence, once that has gone they wanna quit existence, but they're incapable of doing this on their own, so they're forced to live and suffer alone").
America deals with the British hypocrisy towards the usa ("we hate your fucking attitude, but we copy your fashion and your every move, we mock you and your burger king, while we're waiting in the queue")
the title track covers religion ("i know it's sad for you to believe it's the end, but there ain't no reward, so why fucking pretend, so you keep on praying and singing your hymns, whilst i enjoy my life committing your sins")
i could go on but just buy the record....17 tracks (plus an intro) of fast angry but catchy punk (and ska) for a fiver, you can't go wrong.
claypigeon - (Punktastic Forums)