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BAD INFLUENCE
Years In Blood

Legendaarne (2024)
Rating: 5/10

Not to be confused with the veteran German band of the same name, this particular version of Bad Influence is somewhat enigmatic and elusive as this is the only release from the Estonians since forming in 1989! Years In Blood has dropped out of nowhere so forgive me if I’m rather ignorant to their history. But what I do know is that the songs presented here are re-recordings of early demo tracks from 1989-92, no doubt given extra punch on the production department.

The album kicks off with ‘Bloody Story’ and immediately I hear a Sepultura vibe, circa their 1993 Chaos A.D. opus. The vocals of Margus Amor have a raw snarl, clear yet sneering over the stomping riffs. Unfortunately, the album doesn’t really shift through the gears. Instead, you get catchy but formulaic chugs throughout whether it’s ‘Crash’, ‘6 Feet Under’, ‘Paradyzed’ or ‘XXI Century Vices’. Pace is fleeting (parts of ‘Shadows’), but there are some decent melodic strains, particularly the axe work on ‘Manners’ from Indrek Kruusa.

Years In Blood is a tidy release but one that’s bereft of identity as Bad Influence sounds like a myriad of acts that have emerged from the late 90s onwards. Concise but mediocre riffs make this album extremely accessible, but there is little variety to hold my attention. I’m glad Bad Influence have revisited and reworked old tunes but a batch of new, sharper tracks may have benefitted the band more.

Neil Arnold

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