Sometimes you can tell that you’re not going to like a record by not immediately knowing what speed it should be played at. In the case of Ajax. I had no fucking idea. After a couple of tries I decided ’45 might work best and moved in curiously with a somewhat open mind.
On the bands 2nd EP and follow-up to their debut 7″ inch on Katorga Works. Ajax move to Beach Impediment Records looking to expand their brand of American Hardcore goes to the Swedish Institute of Barking Vocals Academy . While managing to display some sense of musicality in the musical sense . (Most evident in some of the guitar arraignments.) It’s the barked, gargle with razors vocals that dominate throughout. Making the most impression here… and that is, unfortunately, not good at all.
By the time it was the needle brought me to the end of ‘Paper Steel’. I really didn’t care. I just wanted to move to whatever else I could get my hands on. While these four songs feature decent lyrics and the cover art has a nice sense of weirdness about it. It’s the music that just falls flat on these ears. While many are drawn to this style. My tastes tend to use a gag reflex as a defensive mechanism in these matters. J.D.
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