Murder Weapon "Nervous Wreck" CD
[Martyr]
God damnit, I loved their demo, and this is even better. Fucking in your face, heavy hardcore that's based largely around the straightforward old school style with a little bit more crunch and a NYHC sort of flare (think early Madball or something - notably in the title track and "Every Night's the Same"). And the vocals are way more pissed off here than they were on the demo, it's just gruff shouting, but it feels fucking pissed - and that makes a hell of a difference. Awesome. Three tracks from their demo have been re-recorded for this EP, and the other four songs are new. They blast right through all seven in barely over 10 minutes... which is a damn shame only because I wish this thing was at least twice as long. But fuck, it's powerful as shit, and you damn sure won't get bored, so it's better to be left wanting more than to feel like you're listening to a bunch of overkill. The production is fine. It's not polished, but it's not raw either. The drums have got some density to 'em, the bass is easy to hear, the guitars are heavy but have a rough bite, and the vocals sound perfect in my opinion. I wouldn't particularly change anything. There's room for improvement, but it's nothing that needs to be addressed. It sounds great. The layout keeps it nice and simple. Everything is printed on matte paper (always a plus) and the cover looks great: Bullet holes shattered through glass, caution tape, etc. Inside are some images of fingerprints, a band shot, and all of the lyrics and whatnot, with some additional imagery (maps, diagrams, etc.) elsewhere. The lyrics are as blunt as ever, and I love that, plus this time around they're even more bitter: "Time has robbed me blind again, Nothing left but a 'fuck you' in the end, I hate to see where this is going, But lately life isn't showing me anything, To make me think that my life here is worth a shit, What the fuck am I supposed to do? Life is a noose, but I'm hanging in there..." This is great. These dudes need to either drop a full-length sometime soon or keep the raging EP's coming at a steady pace, because this is some of the best true hardcore out there right now for my money. Definitely recommended. (8/10)
Running time - 10:20, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Your Pain, Nervous Wreck, Burnt Bridges, Every Night's the Same]
Martyr Records - http://www.martyrrecords.com

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