When bands get back together they tend to fall into the same traps. Hey we’re all human after all, but that doesn’t mean that the traps bands fall into are appealing. A lot of bands stick to their guns and put out a carbon copy of their most popular album, making them sound dated, and out of touch. Others end up trying to copy the flavor of the month, alienating their core fan base, and coming off like a 70 year old woman in a tube top at a singles bar.
INDESTRUCTIBLE NOISE COMMAND or INC, have gotten back together again, twenty years later. Their new album Heaven Sent…Hellbound does neither of the things mentioned above. They have updated their sound, and incorporated other aspects of metal into their sound. They have also improved the production value to bring the album sonically into the now, something other bands tend to neglect. And although they aren’t reinventing the wheel, the album is pretty strong. If you’re an old school fan of INC, the album is chalked full of the band’s brand of thrash that you’ve come to love. But they’ve added such things as groove based riffs, odes to bands of the past, and some hooks that are guaranteed to get stuck in your head.
The track that really stood out to me the first time around, and is one of my favorite tracks to come out this year is “Swallow”. Other standout tracks include “Fist of Fascista”, “Full Metal Jacket”, and “Rain” which features Ron Bumblefoot Thal.
Grade B+
