Over My Dead Body "Rusty Medals and Broken Badges" CD
[Indecision]
A couple of the guys in this band (the rhythm section) were previously in bands like Unbroken and Four Walls Falling, but this is simply straightedge hardcore in the traditional old school vein with a good dose of melody and straightforward yelling vocals. Another band that's not rewriting the book, but is good at what they do. They're not boring either. There's not a ton of variety, but they do mix it up from time to time, and the songs run tasteful lengths (averaging around two minutes each). "To the Core" stands out as a little bit catchier and more upbeat musically with a tinge of distorted singing vocals during the chorus, "96 and Counting" is just a fucking great hardcore/punk song with no bullshit, and "When Saturday Comes" uses more rock based riffing and some oi influences... a bit out of place, but still a good song. About 10 minutes after the last track ends there's a hilarious little techno/remix piece that stutters the line "over my dead body" repeatedly over various booty shakin' techno beats and eventually some high-pitched singing vocals kick in deep in the midst of it all. I don't really know what that's all about, but whatever. The production works out just fine. Nothing is too dominant. The bass is there, the drums sound good, the vocals are right in the heart of the music, and the guitars are heavy without being really smooth or crunchy (read: they don't have a metal sound). The layout is chock full of band photos and images of torsos covered in traditional tattoos. All of the lyrics are included, and these guys are pissed. The lyrics attack everything from the faults of the hardcore scene to political issues, and I actually really like the blunt force of the presentation. "You said. You screamed. You fed us what we wanted to hear. You lied. Fuck you. You proved you're insincere." This is good stuff. I really like the melody, though oddly I think that if they were a little heavier with less of a punk influence I might like them more, but it doesn't matter. (6/10)
Running time - 34:00 (approximately), Tracks: 14
[Notable tracks: True Till Tomorrow, To the Core, C.A.N.E.S., 96 and Counting]
Indecision Records - http://www.indecisionrecords.com

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