Noise Acholic – De tidiga åren CS (Elitbolaget)

It’s been a while since we had some d-beat/crust on our pages, so this release came just in time for a review. Noise Acholic isn’t a stranger to these pages. Quite the contrary, I had a chance to write a couple of lines about Narcissistv​ä​rld, a full-length cassette album released by Elibolaget last year. Those unfamiliar with this excellent music project should know that Noise Acholic is a solo outlet of Owe Inborr (Dispyt, Ondfödt, Wolf Throne Studios). Noise Acholic has published most of his works via streaming services except debut full-length Narcissistv​ä​rld and De tidiga åren, which the artist released on the tape. De tidiga åren collects 23 compositions from his luxurious discography, while the Bandcamp version contains 51 songs, and the Spotify version consists of 31 tracks. Therefore, you’ll need to purchase the cassette and Bandcamp version to collect the entire discography.

Soundwise, Noise Acholic embraces the finest qualities of underground music genres such as d-beat, crust punk, hardcore punk, and various kinds of metal. The artist handles all these styles like a pro, considering there are no weak spots in any of the included compositions. It’s also nearly mindblowing how Noise Acholic explores various eras of English d-beat, Swedish crust, Finnish and Japanese hardcore. However, these tracks sound fresh, unique, aggressive, and dynamic from scratch to finish. Noise Acholic keeps his music short, fast, and on point without unnecessary virtuosities, progressive melodic harmonies, and other sonic maneuvers that define the majority of the contemporary d-beat/crust punk bands nowadays. The artist keeps his sonic acrobatics within cleverly assembled, technically demanding riffs, heavily distorted basslines, and energetic rhythmic sequences.

Besides all these classic d-beat/crust punk/hardcore punk orchestrations, you’ll notice how Noise Acholic incorporated generous servings of noise into his songs. There’s no way you’ll avoid the continuous splashes over the cymbals, crackling low-end tones delivered by distorted bass guitar, and heavy gain emitted by raw sounding guitars. Each layer of noise contributes to the cacophonious, but wisely arranged ambiance, additionally decorated with powerful screams and shouts. Honestly, this material will be right up your alley if you’re a true fan of the beforementioned genres, and Noise Acholic is one of those hidden gems on the scene you need to discover as soon as possible. Head over to Elitbolaget for more information about ordering the cassette or purchasing the digital version.