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Maryscreek: Infinity
Maryscreek Infinity CD Album Review

Maryscreek: Infinity

Heavy Metal
4.0/5.0

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Escape Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 14.01.2016

What's that somewhat famous quotation? "Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance." Stockholm's Maryscreek have been plugging away since 2004, with their first release three years later. Then silence. Now, with some personnel change (not a surprise), they're back with their second release, Infinity, on England's Escape Music label.

Maryscreek Infinity Band Photo

Maryscreek

Essentially, Maryscreek is a heavy metal band with some AOR melodic hard rock sensibility and accessibility. Press material is trying to pass them off as a modern heavy metal act. Wow. That's a description that sways between vagueness and personal subjectivity. When I think of "modern" metal I think bands and songs with oppressive riffage, harsh vocals, and basically the need to crush their listeners heads with both. And then they can't find a melody to save their mother from getting shot in the head. Okay. So Maryscreek has fat, sharp, and heavy riffage. Yes. the riffage can be crushing, but not beat down crushing, thanks to melody and some quirky keyboards. And they sound d-tuned. But the vocals are clean and harmonic. The songs have melody and groove. Catchy arrangements that turn on the same, but also lyrical twists and blistering solos. If all that is so-called "modern" heavy metal, than so be it. I stand by the first sentence of this paragraph. Maryscreek and Infinity are basically AOR melodic hard rock wrapped in a heavier metal wrapper. I can dig it and recommend it. Some of the best cuts: The Ghost Inside, Buried Deep Within, So Afraid To Live, and the almost post-grunge sounding On The Other Side, a quasi-metal ballad.

As a total aside, I recall a few years back, Escape Music trying to play with "modern" hard rock and metal in their musical stable. I forget the name of the band, but it was definitely the wrong fit for the label as their were dirty vocals involved. Maryscreek makes more sense. It keeps the label in their comfort zone, yet stretches the boundaries as well.

Maryscreek - Remission of Sins (from Incubic Twin EP 2015)


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In Short

Maryscreek and Infinity are basically AOR melodic hard rock wrapped in a heavier metal wrapper. I can dig it and recommend it.

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