PURPLE-X delivers a unique brand of hardcore, swaying between manic and melodic with traces of deathrock influence on their debut EP. The singer stands out with snotty vocals that are just the right amount belligerent (due in part I’m sure to her Oslo accent delivering English lyrics), and the band displays the breadth of their capabilities over the course of these four surly songs. Dark, divergent sounds from Norway’s capital.
I’ve had my eye on Oslo’s PURPLE-X since their excellent 2017 demo tape. This is their third release, a pretty short and diverse 12″. A minute-and-a-half intro sets a tone that’s both snappy and haunting. The three other songs on the A-side are jagged punk with cavernous reverb and other decidedly dark elements, but the aggressive drumming and abrasive vocal style steer this away from genre trappings. After a super chill interlude fades out and back in on the flipside they launch into a few faster thrashing tracks, which I have to admit is where I like PURPLE-X best. The vocal style unexpectedly reminds me of Blaine Cook of the FARTZ/ACCÜSED fame! The last song is sung in Norwegian and has a more classic feel, with a sing-along chorus and everything. The drumming throughout this whole record is particularly masterful, and the guitar tone sounds like it could be poised for both/either a dark post-punk band or surf! It all works and the track sequence was chosen for maximum impact. The layout is old-school collage style and has a cool three-panel fold-out lyric sheet.
