N.A.O.P. "Hard to Deny" CD
[Gangstyle]
Damn, here we go. This band (Noisy Act of Protest) out of The Netherlands has been around for 16 years, but this is the first time I've ever heard 'em. I must say, I'm impressed. I don't know what their previous work sounds like, but 16 years down the road this is some energetic hardcore/punk with a nice dose of metal/crossover flare. In some ways it sounds like The Exploited, but the music is more focused and the vocals aren't as obnoxious (it's just straight yelling with some throaty texture and a little bit of a "singing" ring to it in some distant respect). But they definitely have that same sort of musical drive with lots of straightforward chord progressions and great tempos. There's not a whole lot of variety, but they rip on through with most songs running about two minutes each, and it doesn't get boring because they really maintain that consistent level of energy throughout. The production is pretty damn good. Everything is loud and clear, and the mix is solid. The drums sound natural, the bass is there, the guitars are heavy but not overproduced or anything like that, and the vocals are textured and out front without being at all distracting. Very well done. I guess they've been around long enough to know how to do it right. The layout's alright. I sort of think the front cover looks like shit compared to most Gangstyle releases, it's just sloppy and boring, but surprisingly the rest of the layout looks a lot better. The fonts are tighter, the photos are crisper and well arranged, etc. I'm not sure why the cover is so plain. There are tons of tiny photos inside a strip that goes across every page of the booklet, and there are some larger band photos as well. These guys definitely look older than most bands, so they might have been older than average when they started out 16 years ago, I don't know. The lyrics vary from more personal topics about living life for yourself and refusing to fall in line with popular opinion, and then there are also some songs dealing with the perils of drug addiction, the economy, etc. At times the lyrics can get overly cheesy, but for the most part they're not all that bad. "No false pretences, from either side, Face the consequences, as Jekyll turns to Hyde. You voted for the senseless; a four-year swallow of your pride. Now the game commences, just enjoy the ride!" This is good stuff. If you like your hardcore fast and heavy with a hard punk edge and not a lot of metal then this is definitely worth checking out. It's too bad this is the first time I've had a chance to hear these guys. (7/10)
Running time - 38:44, Tracks: 17
[Notable tracks: Four Walls Fall Down, Undecided, Insecure, Own Way]
Gangstyle Records - http://www.gangstylerecords.com

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