|
Scheer
Infliction
|
As a long time fan of 4AD, I was looking forward to hear
something new. Scheer's release, Infliction, left much to
be desired. It seemed that in every song I was reminded of
another band, which isn't a bad thing if you like all your
bands to sound alike. If you want something different,
something to satisfy that desire for something original,
it's not the album. I'm not saying that I didn't like the
whole thing, just some of it.
Scheer shows promising creativity, similar to the Pale
Saints and the energy of The Pixies. However, they should
pick a musical style and develop it fully. Most bands have
a genre in mind before they release an album. This
experimenting with other musical styles till they find one
is okay if you're still in the garage. Scheer would be
infinitely better if they chose a particular style rather
than bouncing back and forth from metal to a folksy, Sarah
McLachlan style. Musical consistency is not their strong
point.
"Demon," a UK released single which received praise from
Melody Maker, is good evidence of what this Northern Irish
band is capable of. They have a good grasp of dynamics
which is reflected in all of their songs. They don't just
beat on their guitars; they actually play them. Other songs
like "In Your Hand" and "Babysize" exhibits their
experimental side by incorporating different guitar methods
mixed in with effective vocals. Songs like "Shea" and "Wish
You Were Dead" show a more metal side which I didn't
appreciate. "Wish You Were Dead" was a typical topic for
screeching metal bands of this type.
Infliction is an album of changing styles and energy levels.
Not an album to keep in your player for weeks at a time, but
something to satisfy that occasional itch. Although I
didn't really like this album, I think you should keep an
eye out for future releases because once they get away from
the heavy guitar herd, they have the potential to be a
cutting edge band.
Mike Higgins
© 1996, Rational Alternative Digital