Hypodermic- Hypodermic

Although Hypodermic include the term industrial in their self-description, it would seem that they lean further towards to the traditional goth rock camp, albeit with some use of synths as a lead instrument rather than a space-filler in the sound.

This self-titled release is the first full length offering from the Detroit trio, and a well-executed one it is too. Hypodermic manage to pull of the normally tricky feat of having fairly obvious influences, whilst preventing said influences dominating the sound and dragging things in the world of derivate, generic nonsense.

The band seem to specialise in dark, melancholic atmospheres, in the case of the tense, string-driven sounds of ‘Samhain Sister’ and the eerie ‘Stone to Flesh’

The is also a subtle, yet definite Cure influence at times, as with the staccato guitar lines and warm yet dark synths on opener ‘D.C’, a track that, minus the vocals, could be lifted from the Cure’s early 80s classics Faith or 17 Seconds. It is with this sort of material that Hypodermic sound most comfortable, and hopefully they will restrain themselves from going the way of many of their contemporaries in needlessly embracing the temptations of computers and their associated noises. Whilst industrial samples and technical wizardry have their place, well written and played songs will always triumph.

If forced to criticise, the album sounds a little unmastered, and with the subtleties that abound in Hypodermic’s sound, you shouldn’t have to turn the stereo up to compete with today’s ‘hot’ mastered opuses.