Insidious – “The Void Demo”
Insidious- definition; proceeding in a gradual, subtle way- but with harmful effects.
What a great definition and what a great definition to have for your band. Your band’s music moving in slow, unnoticed ways destroying previous musical institutions, destroying the unfair, malicious constraints of life.
My definition of insidious is a fairly new, fairly young, very good hardcore band from the wilds of New Hampshire. While it seems Boston, Cambridge and Providence are always full of clubs and places to play, in New Hampshire, after the Dover Brickhouse, it’s hit or miss with some underground shows going on. It seems to me that it’s tougher to be a band from Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine.
I’d also describe Insidious as an “up and coming band” and that is one of my favorite types. To see young bands show promise and then improve and prosper is more exciting for me than seeing good established bands basically staying the same.
As I’ve said before, to see OC45, Taxi Driver, BarRoom Heroes and others at their early stages and to root for them and see them grow is rewarding. And I would put Insidious there, as well as with Crystal Methodist and Brainrot, bands with roughly the same influences if not the same style. And all three bands are hard hitting, young and “promising.”
But enough chatter, let’s hear some music that matters!
Four drum hits and we’re into “Brain Dead” with a sustained scream and a extremely fast hardcore beat. Then we slow down with a pounding rhythm section and slashing guitars. “It’s hard to care when the world’s so unforgiving/ Loss of interest/ It’s such a mess/ It’s hard to care when you know you’re worthless.” This song is short but not sweet. It’s hard and brutal, raw and true and kicks ass in a major way. The hysterical vocals and intense music remind me a bit of “Brainrot.”
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/03 Brain Dead.mp3|titles=Brain Dead]A sustained beat and a flourish of the dark sounding guitar line leads up to vocals entering the song. Like all the songs, the vocals are strong, intense and emotional but here they break up into an upper register making them even more so. “Alone in my mind/ I want to fill myself with lead/ Another reason to put a whole in my head.” The music moves along like a stunned brontosaurus, plodding powerfully through the musical landscape. This song will rip your guts up through your spleen and smash them against the sky. But is so awesome in its brutal glory you’ll just laugh with glee!
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/04 Reality Check.mp3|titles=Reality Check]“Rope Burn” starts with a flurry of chords and then a repeated bass drum hit like you may be entering AC/DC land. But after some foreboding bass notes, the vocals come in and we’re into a moderate, menacing metal groove full of emotionally charged, barking vocals and lethal chugging guitars. “Pushing to the edge of a life with hope/ I’m standing on a ledge.”The instruments drop out. “With my neck in a rope.” A change of rhythm or two and then we’re thrust back into the beginning’s ominous headbanging groove. This song is intense and perfect with it’s crushing punch of power, passion and venom. “Lost inside the void,” maybe, but you’ve found a perfect song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/05 Rope Burn.mp3|titles=Rope Burn]A melodic but evil sounding guitar lick leads off “Center Of Nothin” with a double bass drum beat driving it home, establishing the sense that intense mayhem awaits us. The vocals come charging in as the guitar switches to a line mixing chords and notes. “Christ, our Lord, I’m full of sin/ A pitch black coffin for me to be in/ The hate is what drives me/ No belief for what I can’t see.” A return to the beginning leads us to “The Center Of Nothing,” as the guitar chugs wickedly and we march onto music nirvana.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/02 Center of Nothing.mp3|titles=Center of Nothing]Insidious calls themselves hardcore as most bands I review, do. But what strikes me is how few hardcore rhythms are on this album or the others I review. But again, this is what I keep seeing- bands with metal in their music, hardcore in the their vocals and punk in their arrangements and attitude.
There’s lots of minor key and dissonant riffing in the guitars with moderate, headbanging tempos and screaming, hardcore vocals that border on death or black metal vocals as well.
But the songs are short like punk, all the self-indulgent noodling of metal cut out- just brutal, hard true songs with emotion, intensity, passion and grit.
And that what this album is.
And that’s just what Insidious play.
I recommend you listen to it. Let it grow on you.
In a gradual, subtle way.
(Slimedog)
