Review Summary: War is definitely Tjard(bad)
Recently, I was reading a list of underrated records curated by Havoc Records' owner Felix Havoc, in which named Infernoh's War Tjard the most underrated record of the decade. I am a fan of a lot of Havoc's output so based on his endorsement I decided to check this out. While I would not go as far as naming it the most underrated record of the 2010's I was blown away by the slab of Swedish hardcore punk presented. Infernoh clearly knew what they were going for sonically and aesthetically and one look at the record can pretty much tell you what you're in for, raw bombastic d-beat.
Hailing from Sweden, Infernoh takes influence from other classic raw hardcore punk bands such as: Totalitar, Anti-Cimex, and even Crude SS. The guitars are blown out of all proportion, the drumming mainly sticks to the classic d-beat with a few variations thrown in, and the vocals are seething with vile. This can be seen as a negative to some fans maybe looking for a solace from the noise, I prefer the onslaught presented forth with these kind of bands that are often seen as one note. There's something about this style of hardcore punk that draws me in relentlessly, but, can be screwed up by even one wrong move, fortunately Infernoh is at the top of their game here.
A favorite track of mine 'Inferno' showcases the band utilizing a powerful motocharged drum beat. The kind of song you throw your fist in the air to and dive off the stage into the crowd. Another track that I would recommend is the raging 'Er Mur Maste Bort.' It is cut from the same cloth as Totalitar who also has a record called No Maste Bort! An interesting tidbit is that the first 5 tracks are brand new for the LP while the last 5 are re-recordings from their demo, which is also an enjoyable, albeit quick listen.
There are a few drawbacks from this recording could be the lack of variety, which could also be seen as a critique of this style of hardcore punk in general. Very few tracks deviate from the tried and true path you could expect from the genre. For those of you looking for something more technical or melodic you're looking in the wrong place and most likely won't find any enjoyment from this record. Bands of this style are definitely a dime a dozen, however, I would recommend this to anyone looking for something raw and aggressive to listen to.
To summarize, I would say Infernoh's War Tjard is a diamond in the rough. While it's not reinventing the genre or trying to it's a powerful listen that deserves to be played loudly. I could recommend this to fans of modern acts such as: Impalers, Ajax, Warthog, or S.H.I.T. War Tjard deserves to be listened to by fans of the genre that may have overlooked this record or simply never heard of it prior to this review.
Favorite Tracks:
Er Mur Maste Bort
De Galna Och De Blinda
Inferno
