It’s hard to pinpoint the precise moment that bands melding influences as eclectic as Entombed, Discharge and Integrity together became commonplace to the point where it’s now very much its own subgenre within our world. But while the success of Trap Them, Nails and the rest is great to see, it also means that the sheer weight of bands will ultimately dilute its impact.
Denmark’s Lifesick are far more straightforward a hardcore band than most, but the production on 6 0 1 nods so heavily in the crustpunk tradition that you can’t help but imagine you are listening to a band like Rise And Fall cover Madball. It’s impossible not to bang your head to, particularly the sludge belch of opening track Lifesick and the toothgrinding closer Mindplague, but the second the album ends the overall sound, already instantly recognisable, is the only thing you can really remember about it. Lifesick sound great and they perform impeccably, but they could do with something more to set themselves apart from the d-beat pack.
