Karnage – Realise (ft. Rider Shafique) / Bayside Shakedown [IFS006]

I have listened to this release so many times with different people in diverse settings, but always on studio monitors or decent sound systems. After three straight days of moving out of my old flat, I just met a good friend and we shared some elevation and a six-pack. When I got home I decided to give it a good listen on headphones and then the lyrics really hit me. Always analysing and feeling it sonically and interpreting the vocals as another instrument, I consciously understood and very much enjoyed the contents on an intellectual level.

The poetry of it never fully blossomed until I was restricted to my shitty mobile headphones, (they were the only ones I had available with all my stuff neatly packed in cardboard boxes). At this point in my life I have to consider carefully whether I should question my process, but this time was not one of them. The sheer sonic impact of this veritable mind-bending incursion into the depths of sub centred madness is disruptive enough to my monkey brain but I should never underestimate the power of insightful writing as an element of music.

Overall I feel the star of this EP is the beautiful poetry by Rider Shafique. Always with a constructive message, cleverly critical of our times main political shortfalls, while fostering hope for a better future driven by healthier communities. On the whole, Infernal Sound’s sixth release is a beautiful and powerful musical piece. The flip side comes with some vocal snippets about the nature of reality while the blooming and maddening musical spiral wrangles itself around the listeners brain begging for some form of physical expression. In other words, I found it quite moving. Beautiful poetry and some powerful musical ideas. Indeed a fearsome sonic tool.

IFS006 is out now and available from Unearthed Sounds, Redeye, White Peach, Intense Records and the Infernal Sounds Store.