"A GUN SAYS WHAT IT MEANS, AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS, IT'S MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY 'CAUSE I'M SICK OF FUCKING TALK, SHUT UP AND WALK THE WALK! I WON'T SCRATCH YOUR FUCKIN' BACK, THERE'S NO MIDDLE GROUND AND I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE FACTS! - POLITICS ARE FUCKIN' DEAD!"

EMPIRE FALLS - "INFAMOUS"
("Final Stand Records"; CD):

"Time will tell"... and in  this case time tells quick (or told quick...), because here it now comes, the review of the "INFAMOUS" titled full length release of EMPIRE FALLS. About the new (?) political allies of Bryan Scorch and EMPIRE FALLS (as well as of BETTER DEAD THAN RED) I've written enough in the review of their "WE LIVE TO BE HATED" abum right before this one here, so read there for that. Okay, I've bought this record together with their "WE LIVE TO BE HATED" album last November and it's, for what I know, still today their last proper ful length album release. Don't know if the label is again just a renamed label of the band itself, from "PROPHECY RECORDS" over "RAC RECORDS" to "FINAL STAND RECORDS"?!? Why not... Okay, after the dissapointment that "WE LIVE TO BE HATED", the direct precursor album of this one here, turned out to be for me I wasn't that much expecting from this one here... and what a mistake this was!!! "INFAMOUS" sees EMPIRE FALLS going finally (musically) back to their roots, great hard hitting and fast paced as well as with fat and lively grooves and fuckin' great old school Mosh parts and Beatdowns enriched Hardcore, no boring R.A.C. old man's fart stuff, no retarded White Thrash Redneck Rock & Roll, or other annoying and boring bullshit like this, no, just great angry, bitter, hatefilled and brutal stomping and even more brutal punishing Hardcore with some cool Old School roots, some few classical Straight Edge Hardcore notes and some great NYHC elements in it, hell yeahr, great!!! Hard and heavy and brutal guitar work, also great leads and damn good grooves as well as also some really suprising guitar playing sequenzes (just listen to the crazy lead of "PARASITES"), a more varying style of singing of Bryan (not this dull hollering like on the precursor release, for example), with a lot of balls and charisma in it, a very hard played bass and mercyless hammering drumming, all backed up by some cool loud and fat crew shouts and here and there also with some nice movie samples cultivated, and all melted together by some really truly good (but not outstanding) songwriting (so expect nothing overly exciting new, but damn good done 'classic(k)' stuff, hm, and at the end of the day that's maybe sometimes anyhow better than the most of this all oh so 'new' bullshit crap). Really damn good stuff!!! If it would just bring some little "X-Factor" to the table it would even be better (something more like they give us with "PARASITES", for example), but even so you should give it a fair try or even better get it at first sight, point and fact!!! Best songs, if ya ask me, are the fast paced (like a lot of the songs here on "INFMAMOUS") and bitter opening track "UNIVERSALLY DESPISED" and his neurotic-aggressiv "Taxi Driver" follow up track "VIGILANTE", the angry and noisy stomper "POLITICS ARE DEAD", the almighty headcrackers "ONE NATION UNDER HATE" and "THE BABY BOOMERS KILLED THE AMERICAN DREAM", the sick and  crazy and psychotic "PARSITES", the stoic beating and milling bulldozer Hardcore marching anthem "THOUGHT POLICE", and the pretty catchy title track "INFAMOUS", all great tracks, for sure. And if you're also into (New York) Hardcore from WARZONE over AGNOSTIC FRONT to MADBALL and even 25 TA LIFE, hell yeahr, then this one here is nearly something like your damn fuckin duty, even it's missing a little bit "fresh wind" which means this "X-Factor" which lifts a really damn good album over the steps to become an even better, a very good and great album, if not even something more. Okay, a blasting production sound and a really great and 'stylish' artwork we do get on top of it, and the typical EMPIRE FALLS lyrics (but this time also way better than on "WE LIVE TO BE HATED"). That's all what there is to say to this one here, to the political views of EMPIRE FALLS (and my views on it) I've written enough already before so I will spare me every word more about it, and you need to decide for yourself (but that's something you should do anyhow in every case thinkable) if you want to give this guys and their comrades your hard earned money anyhow, but anyway, here you get my honest recommendation when it comes to EMPIRE FALLS' "INFAMOUS" full length album, so better get it anyhow asap!!! (8 of 10 points)

(Contact: http://www.myspace.com/empirefallsinfamous)