Three years on from rampantly evil second album From Our Cold Dead Hands, Sweden’s Infanticide continue their grindcore odyssey with the even more uncompromising third album, Misconception Of Hope (Willowtip).
As fans would hope, it’s not a great departure from FOCDH; the production is tighter which gives the band a more open sound stepping away from the muddy dirge of their previous output, but MOH is far from flashy. Johan Malm’s crackling guitars and Simon Frid’s explosive vocals shriek and buzz in unsettling waves.
When it comes to the band itself, little has changed, but why would it? Over ten years into band life, Infanticide know exactly the songs they do best and it requires very little in the way of tweaking.
On the surface, the total of nineteen tracks looks like a gruelling listen, but in true grindcore fashion most are below the one-minute mark. Unstoppable clattering drums and fierce growls make the unforgiving ‘T.O.I.L.’ and ‘Lacking Relevance’ shudder with fury. The relatively extended ‘.44 Caliber Salvation’ clocking in at a mighty one minute and forty-nine seconds begins with some chilled out stoner grooves before convulsing with a drumming flurry and shocking vocals.
Misconception Of Hope in the end becomes an ironic title because such is the improvement on previous albums it creates a high level of anticipation for the follow up. Third time’s a charm but a fourth time could be the full treasure. Infanticide are on the way up.
7/10
Dan Bond