I first chanced across Carcer City back in 2012, when they were playing in a support slot at Bogiez in Cardiff in the latter half of the year, and they really impressed me with their powerful live show and awesome music. I’ve kept track of them ever since, and have been eagerly awaiting their new album Infinite // Unknown, which sees the band return with a slightly different sound – but still has all of the energy and power seen in previous releases and shows.
Infinite // Unknown sees the band take a slightly more melodic approach with their music, and it really works for them. Their previous releases feature a more ‘in your face’ delivery with a lot more noise and aggression (which is obviously great too) but Infinite // Unknown features that extra sparkle that their previous releases lacked. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a massive departure and the band haven’t exactly swapped heaviness for soft, gentle crooning, but the synths and more melodic guitar riffs are enough to keep things different and more interesting – it’s always better when bands experiment and try new things rather than release the same album over and over again.
There’s plenty of fantastic moments to be found on the album, with early track Perceptions packing a real punch with its powerfully-delivered harsh vocals backed up tremendously by the hammering drums, and they juxtapose well against the lighter synth line underneath and the great interjections of clean vocals. Another highlight is later song Covington, which is more of a melodically-driven song where the clean vocals will send shivers down your spine – the sheer emotion dripping from them is something to behold.
Carcer City have absolutely delivered with Infinite // Unknown – this is certainly their strongest album to date.
9/10
