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The first time I heard the opening minute of "The Infamous And Notorious," I was less than thrilled. For one reason or another, I'm not known as a big fan classic rock and roll in the vein of AC/DC, which I instantly thought of as this album began. While catchy in general, the mid-paced percussion and traditional guitar riffing made me cringe at the thought of what might come.
Once the shout of "hit it Joe!" cued a guitar solo, though, I was hooked. Without resorting to breakneck speeds, R'N'R managed to craft some truly intense and energetic hardcore. The factor that sets this band apart from the similar Suicide File and other hardcore acts is their completely obvious influence from traditional rock and roll. For being a hardcore record, "The Infamous And Notorious" is pretty accessible, and really catchy.
I'm almost not surprised by the catchiness, as R'N'R shares members with Mental, another relatively unique hardcore band that writes a fair share of memorable moments.
Classic rock and roll junkies and hardcore purists alike might despise R'N'R, as they break the mold set by both genres. As neither of those, however, I find the band's debut full-length to be such a head-noddingly great time that it's hard to resist repeated plays. There are loads of massive guitar riffs and driving rhythms, so "The Infamous And Notorious" isn't a particularly challenging listen. With shouted and screamed vocals accented by gang shouts and the obligatory inclusion "fuck," this record will be comfortable among any hardcore fan's collection.
R'N'R did a commendable job of balancing tempos on "The Infamous And Notorious." There aren't any substantial switches within each song, but throughout the album, the songs range from mid-paced rompers like "I Am Not Impressed" and "Gone" to upbeat bruisers like the appropriately titled "12FU," which has one of the most drawn out versions of "one, two, fuck you!" The guitars and beat of "We're Fucking R'N'R" actually reminded me of the Dropkick Murphys, except a lot more pissed off.
While "The Infamous And Notorious" is a bit juvenile in the lyrical category, the anger-inspired words are quite fitting. There are some songs about straightedge and the state of hardcore, but if one song brings a wide grin to my face, it's "Move Up." The song condemns the semi-circle that forms at most hardcore shows. It sounds like vocalist Joe Shumsky is conversing with me when he screams "Fuck the kung fu, I'll take a pig pile any day. If it's deliberate, then you're a piece of shit. I think you should sit down and chill the fuck out." I'm smiling from writing that out (and I agree). "Weak Ass Shit" is like an ode to the band's favorites, from Poison to Slapshot.
"The Infamous And Notorious" isn't the prettiest sounding release, but the grit and thick sound is more than attractive. Some might write this album off, but I just love listening to it at extreme volumes and singing along. Good enough for me.
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