Fatal: 6 Songs 7"

"6 Songs" is the debut release from this new NC band. FATAL began as a recording project during quarantine 2020 by members of Scarecrow and the original vocalist of Out Cold. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Poison Idea or Necros, these 6 tracks were written with full intention to be pissed, urgent, short bursts in the finest tradition of 80s US hardcore punk. Clocks in at just under 6 minutes. All hardcore, no slow.

Each record comes packaged in DIY hand-stamped pocket sleeve and includes lyric insert.

Our take: Fatal is a new band featuring Kevin Mertens, Out Cold’s original singer (who also returned to the band to sing on their final two albums), Jeff and Usman from Scarecrow on guitar/bass and drums, respectively, and some songwriting help from Eric from Government Warning and White Stains (since moving back to North Carolina, Eric has joined the band on bass). Fatal’s sound is explosive US hardcore, with no time for breakdowns, rock and roll posturing, or any other fiddly business. Every time I listen to this record, I take a deep breath before I drop the needle because I’m not going to get much more air before the side ends… the tracks are just too furious, the riffs coming at you with a speed and intensity that’s almost overwhelming (in that respect they remind me of another of Eric’s old bands, Blood Pressure). It’s like Fatal took a killer US hardcore record and pressurized its contents, or like a nuclear reactor that is meticulously controlled, but always on the edge of erupting into chaos and devastation. The packaging is great too, featuring a classic minimalistic punk layout with the band and label names hand-stamped on every sleeve. Forget the flavor of the week. This record is pure, undiluted hardcore punk.