I Rise “Down” 7”

So I was browsing around the 1917 Records website a few nights ago as lately I've been inexplicably driven to start trying to catch up on some of the newer hardcore that's been floating around out there (go figure—there's actually a lot of great shit out there right now), and among my four purchases was the "Down" EP from Massachusetts' I Rise. I had never heard of I Rise before, but their energetic brand of metallic hardcore hooked me right off the bat, and I'm loving the fact that there seems to be a lot of bands coming up these days that are operating in a similar space to what these cats are doing. Herein they tear through six tracks in about 13 minutes and always manage to maintain a very hardcore sense of energy despite the fact that their writing tactics actually explore a much wider range of styles. Shit, just check out their complete list of influences on MySpace for proof. Any band that cites Inside Out, Unbroken, and fucking Dive (Wow. Impressive.)—not to mention Burn and the Cro-Mags—gets my respect without a doubt. I can definitely pick up on some similarities to early 108 and that sort of thing within some of the caustic metal-based riffing and discordant textures, though they never get too unhinged or veer off into chaotic territory, which is rather refreshing. There's a little more of a socio-political tinge to the lyrics than I tend to prefer these days, but they handle it very well, so it comes across with a personal touch that seems sincere (as opposed to the preachy and overly specific kind of approach, which gets old), so it doesn't bother me at all in the long run. This is some pretty creative and interesting shit though, so I'll damn sure be looking forward to hearing the full-length they're currently working on. I have a feeling the six tracks on this EP are only scratching the surface of what I Rise has to offer...

I Rise "Down"

Get It

1917 Records (CD)* 1917 Records (7")
1917 Records (mp3)

*I just realized that the CD contains a couple of extra tracks, as well as the band's demo. Fuck. Wish I had noticed that before I bought the EP as a download, but I guess that's the only minor "setback" of the manner in which 1917 sells mp3's, because I was super fucking impressed with everything else about their setup. The mp3's are ripped at 192, you can do whatever you want with 'em, lyrics and shit are included as a .pdf, and the prices are absolutely excellent. I mean, $6 for a full-length? I'm sold, man. Awesome.