(c) Christopher Kumar
Since they were founded in 2007, they have been touring almost non-stop through Sweden and their native Norway, dissecting everything on stage, often being ironic and funny, but it was only a few years ago that they decided to give the child a name: Active death assistance (German: ‘Active Euthanasia’) is the new hardcore and punk sensation from the north in the spirit of Kvelertak, LÜT and MAKTKAMP. The band around old school friends, which has now grown into a quintet, is growing „Send Dudes“ courageous and humorous.
“Fest Hos Eirik”, which lurks in second place, simply packs everything that defines the Norwegians in just under three minutes and causes pleasant pain. The tempo is high, the dirty mix of punk, rock and hardcore comes well, while Mattis Mandt shouts hoarse verses from which a sleazy guitar suddenly emerges, spits out a touch of melody and finally disappears back into the junk room. There’s even room for a kind of XXL breakdown at the end. The harbinger “Lørdag” first opens a beer and unpacks the next big refrain, which burns itself into the cerebellum within seconds. The fact that people like to whisper and talk all around fits in with the bizarre presentation.
And it escalates again and again, for example “NFB” extends it to almost seven minutes and yet it is never boring. The deliberate heaviness, the anthemic backing and what feels like a constant build-up, although the climax never comes – all of this fits together perfectly. In the opening title track, Aktiv Dödshjelp briefly play with electronic effects, launch destructive uptempo volleys and serve up a semi-ballad-like break in the middle. That doesn’t make much sense, but it’s at least as entertaining as the wrecking ball “Fakka Med Oss”, whose two-part leads are as much fun as the sing-along chorus – big, sweaty, absolutely suitable for live.
The constant, elusive chaos absolutely appeals to Aktiv Dödshjelp and offers high entertainment value. Sure, similar mixtures of punk and hardcore have been heard many times in the past, especially from the far north, but the Norwegian quintet still manages to stand out from the crowd. “Send Dudes” is a wild ride, absolutely weird and brutal, but also melodic and catchy as hell. After they have already reduced all stages to rubble, Aktiv Dödshjelp successfully take the rough tailwind into the studio – an album that makes pretty much every situation and every occasion a little better.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: May 10, 2024
Available via: Crestwood Records / Loud Media (Warner Music)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aktivdod
Category: Magazin, Reviews