Passiv Dödshjälp

I’ll admit it; any band that requires key strokes to properly type their name has a good chance of ending up in my review pile. The reason is two-fold: It stems from my days as a Motley Crüe -worshiping adolescent, and the simple fact that I am a sucker for Scandinavian hardcore. Thus we have here the latest vinyl by Stockholm, Sweden’s double dose of umlaut, Passiv Dödshjälp.

Production-wise, Fasader has that familiar big-sound-crust-core feel to it—elements of D-beat, thrash punk, and black metal. Think Victims, Disfear, etc. The traditional instruments—bass, drum, and guitar— are orchestrated appropriately, but unfortunately the cracks and crevices are not filled with the ear-piercing levels of white noise I normally prefer. It’s an ok record, but not at all presented in the raw manner that this particular genre is best served by.

There are seven songs; one barely distinguishable from the next. It’s nearly impossible to describe this stuff without using comparisons. Of which, there is an endless supply—Totalitär, Wolfbrigade, Kvoteringen, Skitsystem and so on. Any of these songs could be picked off a record by one of the aforementioned. A couple tracks are even cut from the epic crust mold cast by His Hero Is Gone, Tragedy, and From Ashes Rise. If you’re into this sort of thing, certainly you get the idea by now. Sadly though, Passiv Dödshjälp doesn’t stack up against any of the previously mentioned groups.

They remind me a band you’d see at a fest, think was pretty good live, drop a few bucks at their merch table, and then never think about again until you stumbled across whatever it was you picked up from them. Although I do enjoy this, in the grand scheme of Scandi-core, it’s difficult to peg it as anything other than middle-of-the-road.

6.0 / 10 — Nathan G. O'Brien