Last month, Chris Linkovich (Terror, Cruel Hand) hit me up to let me know that one of the bands on his Cheap Life Records label just dropped new music. The band, Infernal Diatribe, hails from his neck of the woods in Maine, a state that doesn't get enough attention in the hardcore music conversation.
The last time No Echo covered them was early last year, around the time of their Surging Violence EP. If you've never heard the band, Infernal Diatribe deals out chaotic metallic hardcore with a tight balance of technical parts and head-whipping groove sections.
Infernal Diatribe's latest release is a 2-tracker comprised of A Yearning Serenade / Ascending to Bliss. The songs were recorded and mixed by Ryan Stinson of Apollyon and Gumskab, both bands also out of the Portland, Maine area.
I had a brief chat with Infernal Diatribe vocalist Camden Garnett to get his thoughts on the new music, getting the Chris Linkovich cosign, and Maine Hardcore.
Tell me a bit about what happened between the Surging Violence release, and where the band is today in terms of the changes and what brought them on.
With A Yearning Serenade / Ascending to Bliss, we wanted to really push ourselves and hone in on a sound we collectively feel resonates with each of us and captures our past and present inspirations. We wanted to digest the bits and pieces that we love about heavy music, put our own twist on it, and just blow it the fuck up.
What were some of the sonic influences that were melded into the songwriting and production side of things. What did Ryan Stinson bring into the picture that wasn't there before?
Sonically, we’ve always been heavily influenced by bands that sound dark and metallic, just overall very mean. We all love a variety of different sounds production-wise, whether it be more raw live sounding or a more polished big sound. We love bands like Turmoil, Buried Alive, Integrity, Disembodied, Skinless, etc., and tried to weave in as many elements of bands that we love in that general realm as we could, while still trying to maintain something with its own identity.
For this, we definitely leaned towards trying to make the songs sound bigger and more polished than the last EP, something that really packs a punch and has some weight to it. Ryan was able to help us achieve that in the studio and create something that we believe is a step up from the last release and heavier, but still retains the same general style as Surging Violence.
What can you tell me about the lyrics on these two new tracks?
Lyrically, these two songs don’t stray too far from how I wrote Surging Violence. Everything I write has to do with real-life situations that either myself or those close to me are dealing with. “Ascending to Bliss” is a continuation of "Descended into Corruption” from the EP.
“A Yearning Serenade” is probably the most personal song I have written so far. It deals with internal struggles that are difficult to make sense of which in turn lead to a pretty dark place. Although grim, I think it can also be beautiful when you’re able to take these thoughts that weigh heavy on your mind, express them in a certain way, and pair them with aggressive music to create something you cannot do otherwise.
How did you guys connect with Chris Linkovich and what has he meant to the hardcore scene there in Maine throughout the years?
We’ve known Chris for a minute now, mostly from gigs around the area and seeing Cruel Hand since we were all teenagers, but have been talking to him about releasing these new tracks on Cheap Life for a little while. Chris has been a staple for Maine Hardcore for what seems like an eternity.
He’s always putting on for the scene whether it’s booking an insane show, hitting up local shows when he’s not touring the world, or just shouting out new up-and-coming bands. He’s truly the lifeblood of Maine Hardcore and it wouldn’t be what it is without him - endless gratitude for everything he’s done.
Since this is just a 2-song release, I imagine there's new music coming out later this year? Also, what's the plan for touring in 2025?
This 2-song single reflects the direction we’re trying to take our music. We’re constantly writing and are planning our next release to be a full-length. As far as touring goes, we are looking at doing something later this year for sure.
***
Infernal Diatribe on social media: X | Instagram
Tagged: infernal diatribe
