Totalitär – Self-Titled
The Swedish kängpunk legends return after 20 years, as loud and chaotic as we needed them.
Sometime in the mid-’80s, an explosion tore through the Swedish punk scene. Bands such as Anti-Cimex, Avskum, Mob 47, Shitlickers, Asta Kask, Crude SS, and, of course, Totalitär took their devotion to Discharge and d-beat to an even more violent, frantic, and noisy level. Alongside later torchbearers such as Dischange (now Meanwhile), No Security, and Discard, they helped define what became known as kängpunk. Formed in Hudiksvall in 1985, Totalitär remain one of the style’s most influential bands and a sacred name across the global crust, d-beat, and raw punk scene.
Their distinctive black-and-white aesthetic, monumental logo, series of seminal EPs, debut LP, splits with Dropdead and Tragedy, and numerous compilations collectively embody an entire sound, both within and beyond the Swedish scene they helped create. Given the band’s landmark role in the global spread of DIY hardcore, news that they would return after 20 years with a new LP could hardly leave us indifferent. Following a path similar to the recording comebacks of Avskum and Mob 47 in recent years, Totalitär’s self-titled album is a compressed battlefield of sound that leaves no time to react.
The record packs nine tracks into just 16 minutes. Driven by exceptionally fitting production that keeps them from sounding overly anachronistic, Totalitär sound as though they have stepped out of a time machine. To be honest, however, the Swedes’ discography has never stopped sounding solid, crushing, and relentless. The band erases a two-decade recording gap with irritating ease, every song surging with unpretentious intensity, speed, and immediacy.
With releases like this, the overall impact tends to transcend the individual details, and Totalitär is no exception. “Stolta Barbarer” could easily continue for another minute and a half on its rocket-propelled momentum, while “Följ Din Diagnos,” by contrast, packs an entire pogo frenzy into 59 seconds. The groove of “Älskade USA” stands out as one of the album’s most memorable moments. The riffs in “En Dag Hos Terapeuten” may sound more British than Swedish, but they are every bit as electrifying as they need to be, even making room for a fleetingly delightful guitar lead.
On their major recording comeback, Totalitär do the dirty work loudly and convincingly. Far removed from grandstanding, fleeting hype, and the usual comeback clichés, the Swedish legends stand shoulder to shoulder with their younger and more demonic successors. That may be their greatest strength. They have no interest in anything beyond remaining honest and faithful to their musical and political ideals while playing at the peak of their abilities. It is precisely this unpretentious honesty and momentum that allows their self-titled album to command attention through the music itself, rather than merely through the aura surrounding it.
Total chaos.
A Greek version of the review can be found at Rocking.gr.
