Thought id have a crack!
iNFeCTeD - Trial (demo tape 1996)
They coulda been contenders. This was the release that
should have brought Infected to a wider audience.
Around this time Roadrunner was looking to sign a few Australian metal bands. Rumours ran hot that it could be either Infected or Melbourne based Discordia. It turned out that neither band got the nod and Roadrunner signed two Perth acts: Non Intentional Lifeform on the back of some blistering live showcases and bizarrely indie pop band Effigy.
* Irrelevant sidenote: Adam Pedretti from NIL played in Killing Heidi and Effigy did a whole bunch of nothing after some minor success. Just like Roadrunner Australia OH SNAP~!
Back to Infected. After the underrated 'Control' got them dropped from Shock, the bad released this 3 track demo. The word 'trial' meaning both a trialing of new sounds/songs/arrangements and 'indus
trial', which was arguably the core of their sound.
'Disown' opens with a jerky and erratic keyboard loop (much better than some of the sounds on Control), pounding drums and Joey K's deep/low voice. Its a slow burner building in tension and getting more aggressive with an awesome finish. Interesting and creative lyrics which I believe were based around a book that i have long forgotten the name of.
'Hatecrime' is next and a cracker of a track. A heavy stop/start riff that many would compare to Fear Factory (Demanufacture being released a few months or so before). Again, creative keyboard sounds litter the track and Joey Ks has intelligent, thoughtful lyrics. Guitarist Matthew Jefferson gets a well placed solo also
'Brick Wall View' closes out the tape and starts out with a bang, fast and aggressive. Lyrically the pre-chorus is a bit, uhhh, 'clumsy' compared to previous songs , but its a good closer. Moody low vocals in the chorus.
I get the feeling that had a label picked them up and gave them some time and money, these ideas would have been allowed to grow. Who knows what might have happened. Ultimately, the band split, apparently a 'move to melbourne' would have been the only option to keep the band in label reps eyesights.
Infected re-formed for a one off show in 2003 to release 'Trial' on cd with a bonus track and again in 2008-9 to release trial as a backing to the single 'Straight White God'. They played an awesome show at amps and the final show at the Hyde Park hotel was a sad farewell, low crowd and shitty technical problems.
Joey K formed C.O.G (not
that one) which I never heard much of and Headshot, before moving onto the more rocking The Devil Rides Out. James went to form the awesome Tyrant and now plays in Mhorgl (I believe Rob Thorpe from Mhorgl played live keys on a reunion show?). Gareth played incredible session drum on Tyrants demo tape and i *think* played in hardcore band PC Thug? I think Matt still plays guitar but isnt in any bands and Bjorg has pretty much retired from making music.